Callen's Secret
by Blueyesapphire
Summary: Callen has a lot of secrets. But his biggest secret, was her. No one knew about her. Not Sam. Not Hetty. No one. It was one of those things that he kept to himself. However, when she tells him something, and asks for the one thing he thought she would never ask for, will he finally tell someone about her?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First off, to whoever is reading this, thank you for reading this story! It means a lot.

This is a new story I am posting, and depending on if people like it, I will continue to write it.

It's just an idea I had that sort of wouldn't leave me alone, haha

As always, Comments/reviews are appreciated and welcomed.

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, I do not own any of the NCIS or NCIS: Los Angeles characters in this story. All the credit of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles goes to the one and only Shane Brennan

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I walked into the NCIS building and headed toward the bull pen.

"You're just jealous." I heard Deeks say.

I stopped in the doorway to the bull pen and saw Deeks, Kensi, and Sam were sitting at their desk.

"Impossible." Sam said. "There's no way I'll EVER be jealous of anyone. Especially you."

"What's going on here?" I asked confused.

"Deeks thinks Sam's jealous of him because he's living the '_player_' life." Kensi said, using air quotes around 'player'.

"Which, I'm not." Sam said. "I'm very happily married."

"It's true." I said, as I headed toward my desk. "Sam is happy being married."

"I don't doubt that." I heard Deeks say. "Which brings me to my next question…..Why aren't YOU married?"

I dropped my bag on the ground as I tensed up.

"Callen will probably NEVER get married." I heard Kensi say.

"He was married once." I heard Sam point out to them.

"Oh yeah, that's true." Deeks said, as I turned around to face them. "But that didn't work out."

"True." Sam said.

"Do you think you will EVER get married again?" Kensi asked me.

I just stared at the three of them.

Then, I walked passed Deeks desk and headed into the kitchen.

"Callen?" I heard Deeks say, once I reached the coffee pot.

I ignored him, and poured myself some coffee into a cup.

Then, I walked back over to my desk, and sat down in my chair. Fully aware of Sam, Kensi, and Deeks watching me.

After I took a sip of my coffee, I asked:

"Why are you guys talking about marriage all of a sudden?"

"It just came up." Kensi said. "So….Will you ever get married again?"

I pondered her question for a moment. Then I asked:

"What if I told you I was married right now?"

Sam, Deeks, and Kensi all looked at me wide eyed as I took another sip of my coffee.

"No." Deeks said, slowly.

"Not possible." Kensi said, clearly not believing me.

I looked directly at Sam who was studying me. Clearly trying to tell if I was telling the truth.

I smirked at him.

"No." Sam said, positively. "I would know if you were."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked. Challenging him.

Sam studied me once more as I took another sip of my coffee.

"Very sure." Sam said positively.

"If you say so." I said, as I put my cup down on my desk and opened my laptop.

I'm not going to lie, I was pretty amused right now.

"I agree with Sam." I heard Kensi say, as I turned my computer on. "We would know if you were married. I mean….There would be _furniture _in your house."

"Ever thought maybe Mrs. Callen doesn't mind _not having_ furniture?" I asked, looking at her.

"No." Kensi said. "Girls like furniture. No girl likes sleeping on the floor unless she has to."

"Plus, you went out on a date with a girl a week ago." Sam said. "You're DEFINITELY not married…HA!"

I just laughed and shook my head.

Deeks then asked Kensi something, in which, I tuned them out as I got lost in my own thoughts.

Little did they know, I _was _married.

In fact, I thought about her every day.

I always wonder what she is doing. How she is.

It has been a long time since I saw her.

We still kept in touch. The last time I talked to her was a couple nights ago on the phone after I got home from work and turning down going out for drinks with the team.

We were friends. In fact, we were always friends.

Ever since the first day we worked together at the FBI.

Getting married though, wasn't something we planned.

Just then, I heard the all too familiar whistle pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked were the noise came from and saw Eric at the top of the second set of stairs.

"We got a case lady and gents." Eric said.

Then, Deeks, Sam, Kensi, and I got up out of our seats, and headed toward the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

(In Sam's Car)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I heard Sam chuckle to himself.

"What?" I asked, keeping my focus on the car up the street.

Sam and I were in the Challenger waiting for our suspect to get in his car so we could follow him.

As we waited, I was eating tootsie roll pops and Sam was making the wrappers from them into origami shapes.

Including that shape he insists is a swan and _not_ a duck.

"I'm just picturing you being married." I heard Sam say.

"Are we still on that?" I asked, looking at him.

"Well, it's obvious that you're not married, G." Sam said.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"You keep _dating _women." He said. "Not to mention, you would have _introduced_ her to me already."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, as I stuck my tootsie roll pop in my mouth.

"Very sure." Sam said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then I took my tootsie roll pop out of my mouth, and asked:

"What if I _didn't_ tell you? What if I _couldn't_ tell you because she just happens to be a cop and does a lot of undercover work like myself?"

Sam just stared at me as I put my tootsie roll pop back in my mouth.

"Funny." Sam said. Obviously not taking me seriously.

I looked away from him, and back at the car we were watching.

That obviously wasn't the reason why Sam or anybody else didn't know about her.

I just decided not to tell anyone.

I never even mentioned her once.

Not by name anyway.

I always referred to her as "a friend I made while working at the FBI" whenever I talked about her.

Which, even then, I wouldn't say much. Wanting to keep it mostly to myself so that I won't say anything that may indicate anything like, us being married, came out.

It was just easier that way then saying "my wife, yet not wife" and then explaining why we were married, but never got a divorce or annulment.

Plus, if I were to tell Sam about it now, he would be pissed that I didn't tell him sooner. Giving me lines like: "Why did you keep this from me? I'm YOUR partner!" or "What if you got severely hurt like you did a couple years ago when you got shot five times?! I'm sure SHE would have liked to know about it."

But she DID know about it. I told her about it as soon as I got a chance to be alone to talk to her.

She even came to see me in the hospital.

No one was around so they didn't see her, but still, she came to see me a couple times after hours and after everyone went home. And since she was technically my wife, the nurse and doctor allowed it.

She had stayed with me while I was recovering too.

To be honest, I was surprised that no one saw her. Especially Sam, who I knew staked out where I was living at the time every night until I was well enough to fend for myself.

Every day while I was recovering, I was expecting someone to say something to me about her. Saying how they saw her and wanted to know who she was.

But every day, no one said a thing. And I sure as hell didn't bring it up to them.

I eventually asked her if anyone sees her when she leaves. And her reply was no.

I'm not sure how she managed to do that, especially with Sam being outside, but she did.

She knew about Sam, Deeks, Kensi, Nell, Eric, Nate, and Hetty. I talk about them a lot to her. One time I even said I wished she could meet them. Sam especially.

Her reply was: "Someday, maybe."

I smiled as I remembered our conversation.

"Heads up." I heard Sam say.

I looked at the car we were watching to see our suspect getting in it.

Sam started his car up. And began to follow it at a safe distance.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you everyone for all of the comments/reviews, follows, and favorite.

I'm glad to hear you guys like it. And since you guys do like it, I will continue with the story :)

I hope you enjoy it :)

P.S: Also, I have decided to just use the same character (Emily Taylor) in my other two NCIS: Los Angeles stories in this one too. In a way it just easier for me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Washington D.C.)

(NCIS Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I heard someone whistle.

"Someone looks hot tonight." I heard a voice say.

I looked up from my computer, and saw Tony standing not too far away from me with a smile on his face.

I was at my desk, shutting everything down for the night.

I was dressed in a blue dress for my date with Shawn, my boyfriend, tonight.

"Did you do all of this for me?" He asked, his smile growing.

"DiNozzo, why are you over here?" I asked. "Your desk is all the way over there." I then pointed toward his desk, which was a cubical behind mine.

"I saw you were leaving and wanted to see you off." Tony said.

"How sweet." I said.

Tony smiled a big smile.

Suddenly, my office phone began to ring.

Tony dodged for it and picked it up before I could.

I gave him a look.

"Special Agent Emily Taylor's phone, a very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo speaking." Tony said into the phone, grinning.

Tony was silent for a moment, then, he said:

"Sure. She's right here."

Then, Tony handed the phone over to me.

I took it, glaring at him as I did.

"Agent Taylor," I said into the phone.

"Hey, Emily." I heard a very familiar voice say on the phone.

I smiled.

"Hey," I said.

"How's my favorite girl doing?" Callen asked.

"She's doing fine." I said. "How are you?"

"Alright." Callen said. "Thought I would call you before your date with Shawn."

"Aw, how sweet." I said, which earned a suspicious glance from Tony.

"Why did Tony answer your phone?" Callen asked.

"Because he's nosy." I said. "Hence why his last name is 'Duh-NOSE-oh'."

Callen laughed, as Tony glared at me.

"Good point." Callen said, as he stopped laughing. "Well, I guess I'll let you go…Have a good time with Shawn."

"I will, thank you." I said. "Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later." Callen said.

Then, Callen hung up.

I hung up my phone.

"Who was that?" Tony questioned.

"Nobody." I said, smiling at him.

I grabbed my coat as Tony stared at me.

"Goodnight, Tony." I said.

Then, I walked away from him and toward the elevator.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"So, I was thinking about something today," Shawn began.

Shawn and I were at a really fancy restaurant, eating our food.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked.

"Us." He said, smiling.

"What about us?" I asked, smiling back at him.

"Well, how long we've been together." Shawn began. "How you make me really happy, and….How you light up my life without even trying."

I couldn't help but smile a little.

"I've also been thinking about the future." He said. "And every single time I do, I always picture me with you."

Shawn then got up from his chair and knelt down on one knee beside me.

"Oh my God." I whispered. My eyes going wide.

Shawn smiled at me.

"I can't picture my life without you, Emily." Shawn said. "I love you, so, so much….so…." Then Shawn held a ring up to me. "Will you marry me?"

I stared at Shawn in shock.

Then, I smiled and said:

"Yes!"

Shawn smiled more, grabbed my left hand, and put the ring on my ring finger.

Then, we both stood up and hugged each other, as people around us began to clap.

I was so happy in that moment.

But it wasn't until Shawn and I sat back down again, and everyone went back to their own conversations and meals that I remembered I was _already_ married.

I'm sure Callen will understand, I thought to myself.

But, how was I going to tell him?


	4. Chapter 4

(The Next Day)

(Washington D.C.)

(NCIS Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I knocked on the door to Director Vance's Office.

"Come in." I heard a voice say.

I opened the door and walked into the room.

I saw Director Vance sitting at his desk reading something in his hand.

"Director," I said.

Director Vance looked up at me.

"Agent Taylor." Vance said, sounding a little surprised, as he sat whatever he was reading down on his desk. "What can I do for you?"

"I need some time off." I said.

"Ok." Vance said. "When and how long?"

"Now, and one week." I said.

Director Vance stared at me.

"Did something happen?" Vance asked.

"No." I said. "I just want time off….Please."

Director Vance studied me for a moment or two, then he said:

"Time off granted."

"Thank you, sir." I said.

I then began to head toward the door.

"Agent Taylor," I heard Vance call after me.

I stopped walking and turned to face him.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you going?" Vance asked.

"Los Angeles." I said.

Director Vance nodded.

Then, I turned back around, and left his office.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Nate and I were just staring at each other.

I was sitting on the couch in Nate's Office, while he sat in a chair across from me.

It was the time of the month where he did psych evaluations.

I was avoiding him today.

Until Hetty caught on and literally walked me to Nate's Office herself to make sure I went in the room.

Unfortunately, that was only five minutes ago.

"So," Nate began. "How have you been, Callen?"

"Fine." I said.

It was silent for a couple seconds.

"Has there been anything bothering you?" He asked.

"Nope." I said, shaking my head.

"Nothing about past cases you want to talk about?" Nate asked.

I shook my head.

"Anything non-case or work related you want to discuss?" He asked.

"Nothing that I can think of." I said.

It was silent once again.

"I feel like you're holding something back." Nate stated.

"Am I?" I asked.

Of course I was. I hardly ever tell Nate anything. It was nothing new.

It was silent for a couple more minutes, then Nate asked:

"Why don't you tell me about your response to getting married again?"

I just stared at Nate.

I didn't expect him to ask that.

"What?" I asked.

"Yesterday I overheard you, Kensi, Sam, and Deeks talking about marriage." Nate explained. "And when Kensi asked you if you would get married again, you countered by asking her and I quote: "What if I told you I was married right now?"…..Why did you say that?"

"You were _eavesdropping_ on our conversation yesterday?" I asked.

"I was walking by." He said. "And I just happened to hear it. But that's not important. What is important is getting to the reason why you said that."

I rolled my eyes.

"Nate," I began. "It was just a comment."

"A serious comment." Nate said. "With a serious reason as to why you made that comment, I'm sure."

"I just wanted to see their reactions." I said.

Which was partly true. I wanted to see how they would react to it.

"I think there's more to it than that." Nate said.

"Of course YOU would say that." I said. "You're a shrink."

Nate glared at me.

"Is there any truth to it?" He asked. "Are you _really_ married? And if so, why are you _hiding_ it? Especially from Sam?"

"You're the shrink." I said. "You tell me."

Then, I was silent as I stared at Nate. My mask in place as Nate tried to read me.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door followed by the door opening.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Callen, we found something." I heard Nell say.

Thank you Nell, I thought.

"Looks like we're done here." I said, giving Nate a grin.

Then, I got up from the couch, and followed Nell out of Nate's Office.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I walked into my house and closed the door. Locking it shortly after.

After talking to Nate, the rest of the day was tiring.

We didn't even get the guy…yet.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a different story.

I looked around my living room as I took a deep breath.

And that's when I smelt it.

Perfume.

_Lilac_ perfume.

I closed my eyes and smiled a little, as I enjoyed the smell.

There was only one person I knew who wore lilac perfume.

I opened my eyes and saw Emily standing in the doorway that connected the living room to the kitchen.

"Emily," I said, smiling at her.

"Callen," Emily said, smiling back at me.

Feeling happy, I began to walk over to her.

Emily met me half way, and we embraced each other.

I silently sighed contently to myself.

"It's so good to see you." I said, hugging her tight.

"It's so good to see you too, Callen." I heard Emily say.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I asked her, as I pulled away enough to look at her. "I would have came straight home after work."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She said.

"Well, I'm VERY surprised." I said. "And happy at the same time…..I missed you."

"I missed you too." Emily said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"How long are you going to be here?" I asked.

Emily and I were sitting on the floor of my living room eating pizza and drinking beer.

"A week." Emily said.

I nodded.

"Look, Callen," Emily began. "There's a reason why I'm here."

"And it's not because you wanted to see your _hubby_?" I asked teasingly.

Emily giggled.

"Actually, yes." She said. "I wanted to see you. I need to ask you for something."

"Name it." I said. Me knowing that I would do anything for her.

And I can't say that about a lot of people.

"I don't know how else to say it, so, I'm just going to say it." She said.

I nodded and waited for her to say what she wanted.

"I want a divorce." Emily said.

I stared at her. A little taken back at what she said.

"What?" I asked. Part of me sure I wasn't hearing her correctly.

"I want a divorce." She said. "Or an annulment. Whichever one you want…..Better yet, the quickest without much paperwork will do."

"Whoa, whoa, wait," I said, as I tried to wrap my brain around what she was asking. "You want a _divorce_?"

"Yes." Emily said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Shawn asked me to marry him." She said. "And I accepted."

"….Oh." I said. Then, I forced a smile on my face. "Congratulations!"

Emily smiled.

"Thank you." She said. "But I can't get married to him if I'm still married to you."

"I know." I said.

Then it was silent.

"So?" Emily asked. "Will you give me a divorce?"

I looked at Emily. Knowing I wouldn't be able to say 'no' to her.

I could never say no to her. No matter what it was.

No matter how much I _wanted_ to.

So, deciding to delay the answer, I smiled at her, and asked:

"Where are you staying?"

"Oh, um, I was just going to go to a hotel." Emily said.

"No." I said. "You're going to stay here." When Emily was about to protest, I added: "I want you here…I wouldn't want it any other way."

Emily smiled a little at me.

"Ok." She said. "As long as it's no trouble."

"It's never trouble." I said, assuring her.


	5. Chapter 5

(The Next Morning)

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I had left the house at five o'clock this morning.

Despite me not wanting to.

Emily was still asleep in the room I gave her, so I left her a note telling her I went to work before leaving.

Last night, I didn't have any of my normal naps I normally had.

I just couldn't get the fact that Emily was getting married and wanted a divorce out of my head.

I didn't _want_ to divorce her.

About two years after we got married, I realized I was in love with her.

But I never told her. I kept it to myself.

It was just safer that way.

Yes, I went out with other girls like how she went out with other guys, but I knew from the get-go that none of the relationships between me and those girls would ever work out, because I was in love with the woman who I was married to.

Even if it wasn't planned.

I honestly thought Emily may have felt the same way about me, because the guys she went out with didn't work out or last long either.

I thought it was a sign.

I was even going to tell her how I felt about her.

But then _Shawn_ came along.

Shawn.

What kind of name is that anyway?

Doesn't matter, he could have stayed where he was.

But NOOOOO, he just HAD to ask Emily out the same day I PLANNED on telling her how I felt.

Then, he stayed IN her life by becoming her boyfriend.

Then, he asked her to MOVE IN with him.

And now, Shawn asked her to _marry_ him. Pretty much taking Emily _away_ from me completely.

Which wasn't fair. _I_ had her first.

_I_ loved her first.

She belonged with me. Not him.

"G.," I heard a voice say, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked toward the voice and saw Sam standing in front of my desk across from me with a worried look on his face.

"Are you ok?" Sam asked.

I looked around me and saw Deeks looking at me with concern as he sat down at his desk.

I looked away from Deeks as I sat up more in my chair.

"I'm fine, Sam." I said, looking back at him.

"You sure?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Just thinking."

Sam nodded.

"Ok." Sam said.

Then, Sam headed over to his desk.

"What were you thinking about?" Deeks asked.

"Nothing important." I said.

Then, I looked at Kensi's desk and realized she wasn't here.

"Where's Kensi?" I asked.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up from the sun shining on me through the shade less window.

I opened my eyes and stretched myself out on the floor that I called a bed last night.

I then looked to my right and saw a piece of paper beside me.

I picked it up and saw familiar handwriting on it.

So, I read it:

_To My Dearest Wife Emily,_

_Don't panic, I went to work. If you want any food, unfortunately, there isn't any in the refrigerator or cupboards. Which is one of the reasons why you should have called first ;)_

_I promise I will call you when I get a chance. Until then, I hope you have a great morning._

_From All The Love From Your Husband,_

_Callen_

I laughed a little.

Oh Callen, I thought.

Last night, went just how I thought it would.

Callen being happy for me.

However, I noticed he didn't answer when I asked him for a divorce.

It must be surprising to him, I thought. I mean, it was surprising to me that Shawn even asked me to marry him too.

But I'm sure Callen will grant the divorce.

It's not like we got married because we loved each other.

And it's also not like Callen fell in love with me after all this time.

Keeping that in mind, I got up, left the bedroom, and headed toward the bathroom.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

After taking a shower, I left Callen's house and walked to the nearest store and bought a coffee.

Once I got the coffee, I decided to walk around Los Angeles for old time's sakes. It's not like I had anything else to do today.

I was walking and minding my own business, when someone bumped into me.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw a girl.

"Oh, it's ok." I said.

"I wasn't paying attention." We both said at the same time.

Then we both laughed a little.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a real hurry." She said. "I'm late for my job."

"It's ok." I said, understanding.

"Sorry again!" She said, as she ran toward her car.

"It's ok!" I called after her.

Just then, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out of my pocket and answered it.

"Taylor," I said.

"Playing _hooky_ I see." I heard a voice say.

I rolled my eyes as I recognized the voice.

"I'm NOT playing _hooky_." I said, as I began to walk again.

"Liar." Tony said. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have GLADLY played hooky with you."

"I'm on vacation, Tony." I said. "In Los Angeles."

"_Los Angeles?!_" He said. "Now I really AM pissed at you! We could be lying on the beach soaking up the sun right now, while I watch beautiful women walk around in their bikinis."

I rolled my eyes.

"Is that ALL you ever think about?" I asked.

"Maybe." Tony said. "Why are you in Los Angeles?"

"I'm visiting a friend." I said.

"Does your 'friend' happen to be the one who called you last night?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"Why are you being so secretive?" Tony asked.

"I'm not being secretive." I said.

"Yes you are." He said.

"No I'm not." I said.

"Yes, you are." Tony repeated.

"Tony, I'm not arguing with you about this." I said. "Doesn't Gibbs need you for something?"

"I'm on my lunch break." He said. "Sloppy Joe! MMMM! Oh, damn it!"

"You dropped some on yourself didn't you?" I asked.

"Yes." Tony said. "And this is a new suit, too."

I laughed.

"Serves you right." I said.

" ." Tony said sarcastically. "I have to go do damage control. I'll call you later."

"Alright." I said. "Bye."

"Bye." He said.

Then, Tony hung up the phone.

I hung up my phone and shook my head smiling, as I put my phone away.

Tony was quite the interesting person.

But he was also a good friend.

The very first week I walked into the NCIS building back in Washington D.C., I was having the worst week you could imagine.

And I wasn't exactly making any friends either.

Everyone I came into contact with kept looking down on me. Like they knew I was the new person who started today and automatically decided they didn't like me.

As a result, my former boss, who also didn't like me, put me on desk duty.

I don't even know what I did to put off the vibe to people that I was unlikeable.

Because, not to be modest, but, I was a very likeable person.

While I was on desk duty, my former boss kept giving me files to the point I couldn't see the desk across from me.

He also told me with each file he sat down that he wanted them all done by the end of the week.

Which, I knew he knew was going to be next to impossible.

But I was determined to get them done, and to hopefully get some respect and off of desk duty.

When I told Callen about it, he told me I shouldn't be letting him walk all over me. But I assured him I wasn't.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the second to last day of the week, when the files had to be completed, when to my surprise, I had only fifteen files left. Thanks to skipping breaks, and staying after hours.

I was literally ecstatic as I got closer and closer to the last one.

However, once I picked up the last file, my boss came in and stacked four boxes full of files onto my desk. Followed by him saying that they had to be done by tomorrow morning.

Becoming angry, I protested.

But I didn't win, because he threatened to complain to the Director about me, who, he said, would then _fire_ me.

So, knowing I had no other choice, I began to take some files out of one of the boxes as my boss left.

By eight o'clock at night, I wasn't even one fourth of the way through the first box.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish all of it by morning.

Sighing, I decided to give up, and put my head down on my desk.

And that was when, I heard someone ask if I wanted some help.

_"Would you like some help?" I heard a voice suddenly ask._

_I lifted my head up from my desk and saw a man standing across from me at my desk, with a bag of food in his hands._

_"….What?" I asked, surprised._

_"I'll take that as a 'yes'." He said._

_Then, the man took my boss' chair from behind his desk, and sat down across from me._

_"I brought food." He said, smiling a little at me, and holding up the take-out bag. "I hope you like burgers."_

_I must be imagining this, I thought, as I stared at him._

_His smile faded._

_"Oh no," He said. "You're a _tofu_ lover aren't you?"_

_"N-N-No." I said. "I'm just….stunned."_

_He laughed. _

_"Why's that?" He asked._

_"Because you're being _nice_ to me." I said._

_"…..Yeah, well…" He began. "I think it's unfair the way they're treating you around here….Especially your boss. But then again, he's always been a natural asshole so…" Then, he opened the bag up and held it toward me. "Burger?"_

_I smiled a little, and reached in the bag, grabbing a burger and taking it out as I did._

_"Thanks." I said._

_"Tony." He said._

_"Tony." I said. "This is really kind of you."_

_"Not a problem." Tony said._

_"Emily." I said._

_"Emily." He said, smiling at me, as he took his burger out of the bag._

Yes. Tony was a good friend, indeed.

After a couple more minutes of walking, I entered a Dinner, which wasn't too crowded, and sat down at the first available booth. Setting my almost empty cup-to-go of coffee down on the table.

A couple minutes went by, then a waitress came to my table and asked:

"Hi, what can I get you?"

"Hi, I would like scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon, please." I said.

"And to drink?" She asked, as she wrote my order down.

"Coffee, please." I said.

The waitress nodded.

"I would like a hot cup of water." Said a voice.

I looked toward the voice and saw a short elderly woman standing by the waitress.

"Anything else?" The waitress asked her.

The elderly woman looked at me.

"No, that will be all thank you." I said, giving the waitress a polite smile.

The waitress nodded then walked away. Leaving me with the elderly woman.

The woman sat down in the booth across from me. Setting her purse she had with her on the seat beside her.

"I bet," The woman began, before I could say anything. "You're wondering who I am, Miss Taylor."

Then she looked at me.

"….Yeah, just a little bit." I said. "….How do you know my name?"

She smiled.

"Miss Taylor," She said. "My name is Henrietta Lange."

Henrietta Lange.

I know that name.

Suddenly, I remembered one of many conversations I had with Callen.

"_You're_ Hetty?!" I asked, a little smile coming to my face.

Hetty looked at me a little surprised.

"Yes, I am." Hetty said, as she then looked at me suspiciously. "How did you know?"

"I heard a lot about you, actually." I said honestly.

"All _good_ things, I hope." She said.

"I honestly don't think I heard one _bad _thing about you." I said. "It's so great to actually meet you and put a face to the name, but…..You're the head one of the _Office of Special Project's_ branch…..What do I owe the pleasure?"

Hetty smiled at me proudly, as if I was her child and did something to make her proud.

"You are a sharp one, indeed, Miss Taylor." Hetty said. "Director Vance was right about you."

"Director Vance?" I asked.

"Yes." She said. "The Director called me and told me you would be here for about a week…..He's quite fond of you and asked for me to look out for you while you were here."

"Really?" I asked. "I mean, I don't _really_ need anyone to watch over me while I'm here. I did _live_ here before."

"I know you have, Miss Taylor." Hetty said.

I looked at her confused.

Then, I heard Callen's voice say in my head:

_"Hetty knows _everything_. And if she _doesn't _know it yet, she _WILL_ find out."_

"That's right, you…..You know everything." I said, feeling a little nervous.

Hetty smiled.

_"Does she know you're married?"_ I remember asking Callen.

_"She knows I WAS married."_ Callen had replied. _"But as far as I know of, she doesn't know about you."_

_"Do you ever plan on telling her?"_ I had asked. _"Or _anyone_ for that matter? Since, you just said she _WILL _find out what she _doesn't _know."_

_"No."_ Callen had said. _"No one needs to know, and she doesn't need to know either. If eventually she _does _need to know, I will tell her. But for now, its remaining a secret like we agreed upon…Have you or do _you_ plan on telling anyone about me where you are?"_

_"No, I haven't. To be honest I didn't plan to because of us agreeing to keep it a secret. But if you're not going to tell your boss, I won't tell mine."_ I had said to him.

Just then, the waitress came back with my food and Hetty's hot cup of water.

"Thank you." Hetty said to her.

The waitress nodded, and walked away.

Hetty then reached into her bag, pulled out a small canister, opening it, and sat it down on the table.

Then, Hetty took out a loose leaf tea holder, picked up her spoon, and began to scoop some of the tea leaves that were in the canister into it.

"Since you will be in Los Angeles for _more_ than a couple days," Hetty began, as she put one more scoop of tea leaves in the loose leaf tea holder, and sat the spoon down. "Why don't you come to the _Office of Special Projects_ Headquarters?"

Hetty then put the loose leaf tea holder in her cup, as I stared at her in disbelief.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" I asked. "I mean…I thought the Headquarters was in a _top secret_ location?"

"It is." She said, smiling softly at me. "But there _are_ exceptions. For instance, other NCIS agents such as yourself, Miss Taylor."

"Oh." I said.

"So, after you eat your breakfast, and I drink my Jasmine Oolong Tea, we can go there, and I will introduce you to some of my Agents, and even get one of them to show you around if you like." Hetty said.

"Ok." I said smiling at her. "Sounds like a plan."

Hetty smiled back at me.

Looks like Callen may not get a chance to call me after all, I thought.


	6. Chapter 6

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Deeks and Sam were doing paperwork, and I was thinking about Emily and what she had asked for, when Kensi came hurrying into the bull pen, and quickly sat down at her desk.

I stared at her, as she took a folder out and opened it.

Then, Kensi looked at me.

"If she asks, I was here the WHOLE time." Kensi said.

"Her, as in, Hetty?" I asked.

"Yes." Kensi said. Then, she looked at Sam and Deeks. "That goes for you two, too. I don't need another lecture about me being late."

Deeks and Sam looked at her.

"I don't know, _Fern_," Deeks began, a smirk coming to his face. "You should know when it's time to be at work."

Kensi narrowed her eyes at him.

"You should be safe, Kens." Sam said. "I haven't seen Hetty yet."

"….Now that I think about it, neither have I." I said.

I then looked toward Hetty's Office and saw her chair was empty. Just like it was when I first walked in this morning.

I didn't even see her purse hanging up on the hook she had.

I wonder where she is, I thought.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(One Hour Later)

"Hey, guys," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Eric was now in the bull pen.

"You found our guy?" Sam asked. Referring to our case.

"No, not yet." Eric said. "I actually was wondering if you saw Hetty? She asked me to let her know when our new computer came in, but I can't find her."

"You're guess is as good as mine." I said.

"Hetty, stepped out." I heard a voice say.

We looked toward the voice and saw Nell was standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen.

"Did she say where?" Deeks asked.

"No." Nell said, looking away from us.

"Nell," I said.

Nell hesitated, then she looked back at us and said:

"This morning when I arrived, Hetty asked me to look someone up and to not say anything to anyone because it was top secret." Then, she added: "And now I'm in _so_ much trouble."

"You'll be fine." Sam assured her.

"Who did she ask you to look up?" Kensi asked her, as I picked up my pencil. Prepared to write the name down.

"Someone named Emily Taylor." Nell said.

Hearing Emily's name come out of Nell's mouth, caused me to look at her wide eyed and break my pencil.

I then began to panic in my head.

Does she know? Does Hetty know? Is that why she had Nell look up Emily?

Getting a grip, I dropped the remains of the broken pencil onto my desk and put my mask into place.

"Who's she?" I asked, sounding confused yet calm.

"She may or may not be an NCIS Agent from D.C." Nell said.

"What did you find out about her?" Kensi asked.

"Well," Nell began, as I began to get a little nervous. "She may or may not have worked at LAPD for six months before she _maybe_ joined the FBI. Then she _may_ have joined the DEA and is _maybe_ now working for NCIS in Washington D.C."

Stuff I already knew, I thought.

"What about her personal life?" Sam asked.

Now I was _really_ getting nervous.

"Her parents live in Norway." Nell said. "They moved there after her father retired from being a Navy SEAL."

"NAVY _SEAL_?!" I said, shocked.

Everyone looked at me.

"….Sorry." I said, shaking my head. "Continue, Nell."

I had no idea her father was in the Navy.

Or a SEAL for that matter.

She didn't mention that to me.

However, now knowing that, some of the things she did made so much sense now.

"Anyway," Nell began slowly, as everyone looked back at her. "She currently lives in Washington D.C. with her boyfriend, Shawn Lucas."

I rolled my eyes.

Even his _name _being said annoyed me.

"Why did Hetty want to know about her?" Eric asked.

"I don't know." Nell said, with a shrug. "From what I found about her, she seemed like a normal Agent. LOTS of alias', no criminal record, no jail time, nothing…However,"

Then Nell was quiet, as she had her thinking face on.

Oh no, I thought.

Did she just put two and two together?

"_However_ what, Nell?" Kensi asked.

"The only thing I found suspicious was how much time she took off work over the years." Nell said. "She took off a whole month unexpectedly five years ago, with no excuse. Then, a couple weeks later, she took two _more _months off without an explanation."

I suddenly knew what she was talking about.

When I got shot, Emily took a lot of time off work in order to be with me.

The first month, to see me in the hospital.

The other two, to take care of me after I was out of the hospital.

Despite my _many_ protest.

"And it's not just then, either." Nell continued, when no one said anything. "Roughly ten years ago, she _unexpectedly_ took a couple days off without an explanation then, _either_. And just yesterday, she unexpectedly took this _whole week_ off."

"And let me guess," Deeks began. "She didn't give an explanation."

"Correct." Nell said.

Ah, damn, I thought.

I obviously knew the reasons why she took those "unexpected without an explanation" days off.

Right now was because she came to see me about a divorce I didn't want to get.

As for the days off that happened almost ten years ago?

Our _Wedding Day_.

"When someone takes that many days off unexpectedly and without an explanation, that only means one thing." Sam said.

"She's hiding something." Deeks said.

Sam nodded.

"But what?" Kensi wondered out loud. "What could be so _important_ that she felt the need to hide it?"

"Maybe she's a double agent." Deeks said.

"She's not." I said, positively.

"How do you know?" Sam asked me.

"Just a feeling I have." I said.

Then, I got up from my desk, grabbed my empty cup off my desk, and headed toward the kitchen as I thought.

Did Hetty see the day's Emily took off from work?

That's a stupid question, _of course_ she did.

And since she did, it made me wonder if she made the connection with those days, and the days I took off or was in recovery, being the same days.

Knowing Hetty, it didn't go unnoticed.

Which means Hetty was probably on to me. On to Emily.

On to _us_.

I rinsed my cup out and sat it in the dish pan.

And to top it all off, my team thinks Emily may be a double agent.

Or at least, _Deeks_ thinks it.

But then again, not a lot of people take Deeks seriously.

Regardless, they think she's hiding something.

Yeah, I thought.

Me.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly and noiselessly.

I am so glad Nate left this morning.

"Mr. Callen," I heard a voice say. "Won't you come join us? There is someone I want you to meet."

I instantly recognized the voice as Hetty's.

Obeying, I walked toward the bull pen and ended up stopping by Nell, as I looked at Hetty, who was standing next to Eric.

"Everyone," Hetty said. "I would like you to meet, NCIS Special Agent Emily Taylor."

What?!

I looked beside Hetty and noticed Emily was standing beside her.

"Hey!" Kensi said. "You were the one I bumped into this morning."

"Yeah, I was." Emily said.

This can't be happening this way, I thought.

It can't.

"Miss Taylor," Hetty began. "I would like you to officially meet Special Agent Kensi Blye. Beside me, Eric Beale, our Computer Analyst. To your left, is Special Agent Sam Hanna," Sam smiled politely at Emily. "And our LAPD liaison Detective Marty Deeks."

"Howdy!" Deeks said, smiling.

"And finally," Hetty said. "Standing in the door way, is our other Computer Analyst, Nell Jones, and Special Agent G. Callen."

Emily looked from Nell and made eye contact with me for a brief moment before looking away and saying:

"It's nice to meet you all."

"Same." I said, taking from what Emily said that she hasn't been talking to Hetty about me, and more than likely didn't tell her she knew me.

Did I mention how GLAD I was Nate left this morning?

"Miss Taylor is from the NCIS branch in Washington D.C." Hetty said. "She is here on vacation, and I was just going to give her the tour of our Headquarters. But, since I need to talk to Miss Blye about her _tardiness_, why don't you show her around, Mr. Callen?"

"Sure." I said, giving Emily a smile. "We'll start from top to bottom."

"Ok." Emily said, returning the smile, as I walked over to her.

Then we headed towards the stairs.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"She just showed up." I said to Callen.

Callen and I were walking around the Office of Special Projects Headquarters.

Callen was pointing things out to me as we walked, while we talked.

"I entered a Dinner for breakfast and as I was ordering Hetty appeared." I said.

"Yeah, she does that." Callen said. "More than likely she was following you."

I sighed.

"Do you know why she was?" He asked.

"Director Vance gave her the heads up that I was going to be here." I said. "He asked her to watch out for me."

"NOW it makes sense." Callen said.

"What does?" I asked.

"Nell told me and the team that Hetty asked her to look you up." He said. "I thought it was strange she was doing that all of a sudden and automatically assumed she connected the dots."

"So you think she still doesn't know?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so." Callen said. "But she might be close…By the way, my team thinks you're hiding something."

"Why's that?" I asked. "Besides the fact that I am."

"Because Nell told them about your _'unexpected' _and_ 'unexplained'_ days off." He said.

"Oh." I said, remembering why I took those days off.

"So, if you talk to them and they seem suspicious of you, that's why." Callen said.

"Noted." I said, as Callen and I came upon double doors. "By the way," I stopped walking and looked at him. "You never answered me last night."

"About what?" He asked.

"The divorce." I said. "We are getting one….Right?"

Callen stared at me.

And even though his face was unreadable, his eyes spoke clearly. Showing an emotion in his eyes that I've always seen when he looked at me, before he looked away, and opened the doors. Walking into the room as he did.

"Tell you what," Callen began, as I followed him into the room, that I realized was a gym. "I beat you, we stay married."

I was about to protest when Callen faced me and said:

"However, if you beat me, you and I will go to City Hall _today_, and get the divorce. Deal?"

"That's depends." I said, going along with it. "What are we playing?"

Callen smiled.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen took a shot, and the ball went into the net.

I sighed.

"Looks like its fifteen to fifteen." Callen said, smirking.

Callen and I were playing basketball.

And he just tied it.

Again.

"You know what?" I said, as he went over to retrieve the ball. "Last shot. The next person who scores, wins."

Callen picked the ball up and looked at me.

"Fine by me." He said.

Then, Callen passed me the ball. I caught it.

"Show me what you got." Callen said, as he got in position in front of me.

I bounced the basketball a couple times, then I put it up like I was about to take a shot.

Callen moved his hands up.

And I took that opportunity to go around him. Dribbling the ball as I did.

Then, I was about to take the shot, when the ball was knocked out of my hands.

I looked at Callen and saw he was now beside me.

"That was uncalled for." Callen said.

"What? _Faking_ a shot?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said. "You can't do that. That's cheating."

"No it's not." I said. "People do that all the time. Hell, basketball _players_ do it all the time. You know that, G. Why are you making up rules?"

"I'm not making up rules." Callen denied.

"Oh, really?" I asked. "Then you knocking the ball out of my hands is _also _cheating."

"No it's not." He said. "That's _totally_ legal."

"So what, you can make up rules but I can't?" I asked.

"I'm not making up rules." Callen said.

"Yes you were." I said.

Callen stared at me.

"Are you feeling ok, Em?" He asked.

"Callen, don't play dumb with me." I said, as I got closer to him.

"But what if I want to?" Callen asked, as he stepped closer to me.

"Why would you want to?" I asked.

"Because it's cute when you get angry." He said softly.

I blushed a little and looked down.

A couple seconds went by, then I heard someone clear their throat.

"G.," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice, and saw Sam looking at us.

"Eric found him." Sam said to Callen.

Then, Sam looked at me with questions in his eyes.

"Ok." Callen said.

Then, Callen looked at me for a second, before heading toward Sam.

I watched Callen walk by Sam, as I felt Sam stare at me.

I looked at Sam.

Sam stared at me for a couple more seconds, then he turned around and followed Callen out of the gym.

As soon as they were both gone, I sighed.


	7. Chapter 7

(Later)

(In Sam's Car)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked.

Sam and I just arrested the murderer, and were heading back to Headquarters.

Since Sam and I left the NCIS building, Sam hasn't really made conversation with me.

He didn't even _banter_ with me.

All he did was fill me in on what Eric had told him.

Sam being this quiet, worried me.

"I'm not being quiet." Sam replied.

"Well, you haven't exactly been talkative." I pointed out to him.

"I'm thinking." He said.

"About what?" I asked.

"The way Agent Taylor was looking at you." Sam said.

I looked at him confused.

"How was she looking at me?" I asked.

"….I don't know." He said, still clearly thinking about it. "If I didn't know better, I would say she looked like she _cares_ about you."

"…..Really?" I asked, hopefully.

Sam nodded.

"But I think I just read her wrong." Sam said. "There's no way you can care for someone you just met."

"Not necessarily." I said, as I remembered the day I met Emily.

_I sighed as I put another completed case file in the outbox on my desk._

_I then looked around the station and watched my colleague's working at their own desk or walking around._

_It was a slow day for me._

_I got up and headed toward the break room._

_Once in the break room, I went over to the coffee machine, grabbed a cup, and poured myself some coffee._

_"Please say there's more of that." I heard a voice say._

_I looked toward the voice and saw a girl coming toward me._

_"Just enough." I said._

_She smiled, relieved, as she grabbed a cup._

_I then poured in her cup the rest of the coffee in the pot._

_"Thank you." She said. "I'm kinda falling asleep out there."_

_I laughed as I sat down the coffee pot._

_"No problem." I said. "I kinda was too. It's been a slow day."_

_"Yeah." She said in agreement._

_"I don't think we met." I said. "I'm Callen."_

_Then, I held my hand out to her._

_"Emily." She said. Taking my hand and shaking it._

_"You're Gordan's new partner, right?" I asked, as our hands retreated. "From Los Angeles?"_

_"Yeah." Emily said. "Anyway…thank you."_

_I nodded._

_Then, Emily walked out of the break room._

_She seems nice, I thought, as I took a sip of my coffee._

I shook my head.

I didn't want to think about what else happened the day I met Emily.

"So, what do you think about her?" I asked Sam.

Sam shrugged.

"She seems ok." He said.

"Just 'ok'?" I asked.

"What do you want me to say, G?" Sam asked. "I just met her. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt."

"Benefit of the doubt?" I asked.

"I'm trying not to think about what Nell told us about her suspicious days off." He said. "What do you think of her? You spent the most time with her. I'm sure you have an opinion."

"I do." I said.

When I remained silent, Sam asked:

"Let's hear it, then. What is it?"

"She doesn't _seem_ bad to me." I said. Choosing my words carefully.

"That's it?" Sam asked. "You're not _suspicious_ of her at all?"

No, I thought.

"Sam, I'm suspicious of _everyone_." I said. "With the exception being you." Then I added jokingly: "And that's only sometimes."

"What about the friend you made in the FBI that you talk about from time to time?" He asked. "You always seem to be fond of her."

"Because I am." I said, smiling a little

"You know, speaking of your FBI friend," Sam began. "When am I going to meet her? I want to ask her if it was as hard working with you then like it is now."

"Ha, ha, very funny." I said, sarcastically. Then I took a chance, and asked: "What if I told you, you _already_ met her?"

Sam slammed on the breaks. Making me jolt forward in my seat.

And if it wasn't for the seat belt, I would have probably been flown out of the windshield.

"Geez, Sam! That hurt!" I said, rubbing where the seat belt more than likely left a mark on my chest.

"What do you mean, what if I ALREADY met her?!" I heard Sam ask, a hint of anger in his voice.

I looked at Sam and saw he was now looking at me with anger clear on his face.

"It was a hypothetical question." I said.

"Hypothetical." He said.

I nodded.

"Ok." Sam said. "Well, how about, _hypothetically_, you tell me why you keep saying 'what if I told you' questions, before I, _hypothetically_, throw you out?"

I stared at Sam.

"You wouldn't throw me out." I said, calling his bluff. "I'm your partner. I complete you. You would be miserable without me."

Sam gave me his: "Wanna bet?" Look.

"You're not going to throw me out." I said, confidently. "I know you. You wouldn't do that to me."

Sam just continued to stare at me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"What do you think you're doing?" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Kensi and Deeks coming into the bull pen.

"I was going to sit down." I said slowly, gesturing toward the chair in front of me.

"That's Callen's desk." Kensi said. "He doesn't like people sitting at it."

"Well, he's not here now." I said.

Then, I sat down in the chair.

I knew Callen didn't like people sitting in his chair or at his desk, but when it came to me, he didn't mind.

"Callen's NOT gonna like that." I heard Deeks whisper to Kensi, who was looking at me as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

I could tell Kensi wanted to say something to me, but held it back, as she walked to her desk and sat down.

Deeks headed toward his desk. Glancing at me as he did with confusion and curiosity written on his face.

I looked away from Deeks and looked at the contents on Callen's desk.

There wasn't much. Just a laptop, desk phone, notepad, and a broken pencil.

I wonder how that happened? I thought.

I then heard someone clear their throat.

"So, Emily," I heard Deeks begin.

I looked away from the broken pencil and looked at Deeks.

"Why are you in LA?" Deeks asked.

"Deeks," Kensi snapped at him.

"What?" Deeks asked. "Don't act like you don't want to know."

"I'm here visiting a friend." I said.

"What _kind_ of friend?" Deeks asked.

I looked at him confused.

"Like, your boyfriend?" Deeks asked. "Your brother? Your sister? An actual friend in general? Or-"

"An actual friend in general." I said, cutting him off.

Deeks nodded.

"I heard you worked for LAPD." Deeks said.

"For six months, yes." I said.

"Did you like it?" Deeks asked.

"I have no complaints." I said.

"How do you like working in D.C.?" Deeks asked.

"I love it." I said. "But I do miss home."

"Where's home?" Kensi asked.

Wherever Callen is, I thought.

"Here." I said.

Just then, my phone began to ring.

I took it out of my pocket, and answered it.

"Taylor," I said.

"Em," I heard Callen's voice say on the other end of the phone.

By the way he said my nick name, I knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Kensi and Deeks looked at me with concern and curiosity.

"Sam….…MAY have thrown me out of the car." Callen said. "…Literally."

I laughed a little.

"Is that so?" I asked, amused.

Callen sighed.

"Look, can you just come get me?" Callen asked.

"I don't know." I said, teasingly. "You're obviously there for a reason."

"Emily," Callen said. "Come on. Just grab my keys, and come get me. I'll text you where I am."

"I can't." I said.

"Why not?" Callen asked. "The keys are in my left hand drawer, in my desk."

"I figured that." I said. Knowing how he ALWAYS kept his keys in the top left hand drawer from past experience. "But, I'm bw."

Saying bw to Callen, was abbreviation for 'being watched' when we were being watched and couldn't say or do much.

"Kensi and Deeks?" Callen asked, as Deeks and Kensi looked at me confused.

"Yeah." I said.

"Then create a distraction." Callen said.

"How?" I asked.

"I don't know." Callen said. "You're smart, and _talented_, I'm sure you will be able to think of something."

I felt myself blush with Callen's complements.

"Ok." I said.

"See you soon." Callen said.

Then, Callen hung up.

I sighed and hung up my phone.

"What was that about?" I heard Kensi ask.

"It was just my friend." I said.

Then I looked at her and smiled a little.

"My friend is…._quite_ stubborn." I said.

"I know EXACTLY what you mean." I heard Deeks say.

I looked at Deeks and saw he was looking at Kensi.

"Are you suggesting I'm _stubborn_?" Kensi asked him.

"I'm not suggesting it." Deeks said.

"You THINK I'm _stubborn_?" Kensi asked him.

"Yeah, I do." Deeks said, nodding.

"Well, I am NOT stubborn." Kensi said. "I'm just goal oriented."

Deeks laughed, as I carefully opened the top left drawer of Callen's desk.

"You do realize that _stubborn_ and _goal oriented_ have two different meanings, right?" Deeks asked.

Kensi glared at him.

"At least I don't smell like a _fish_ every day." Kensi said, as I glanced in the drawer and saw Callen's car keys.

"Hey! Don't you _dare_ knock down my love for the sea!" Deeks said.

"Why? What are YOU going to do about it?" Kensi asked, clearly challenging him, as I quickly took Callen's car keys out of the drawer, and began to close it.

Deeks was about to respond, when Sam entered the bull pen, gaining Deeks and Kensi's attention.

"Sam?" Kensi said, concerned, as Sam sat down at his desk as if nothing was wrong. "Where's Callen?"

"He decided to walk." Sam said, as I finished closing Callen's desk drawer.

"What do you mean he decided to walk?" Deeks asked, confused.

"I mean, he decided he wanted to walk." Sam said, looking at him.

"Is that code for you and Callen had a fight?" Deeks asked.

"No." Sam said, shaking his head slightly. "We didn't fight. Like I said, G. decided he wanted to _walk_ back here…..So, I let him."

Kensi and Deeks looked at each other confused and unconvinced by what Sam said.

Just then, my phone jingled.

I looked at my phone and saw a text from Callen. Telling me where he was, no doubt.

"I have to go." I said, looking up at Deeks, Kensi and Sam. "It was nice meeting all of you today."

I then got up and headed out of the bull pen toward the exit to find Callen's car.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In Callen's Car)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_I looked at Sam and saw he was now looking at me with anger clear on his face._

_"It was a hypothetical question." I said. _

_"Hypothetical." He said._

_I nodded._

_"Ok." Sam said. "Well, how about, _hypothetically_, you tell me why you keep saying 'what if I told you' questions, before I, _hypothetically_, throw you out?"_

_I stared at Sam._

_"You wouldn't throw me out." I said, calling his bluff. "I'm your partner. I complete you. You would be miserable without me."_

_Sam gave me his: "Wanna bet?" Look._

_"You're not going to throw me out." I said, confidently. "I know you. You wouldn't do that to me."_

_Sam just continued to stare at me._

_"Is there something you want to tell me, G.?" Sam asked. "Something you're hiding and want to get off your chest?"_

_"Like what?" I asked._

_"I don't know." He said. "Like, anything that comes to your mind when I say; a secret you probably should have told me about but haven't for who knows why."_

_I was silent as I stared at Sam and Emily became more known in my mind._

_"There IS something. Isn't there?" Sam said, sounding even more angry._

_"Sam," I began._

_"Get out." He said._

_"What?" I asked. Sure I wasn't hearing him right._

_"Get out." Sam said. "As in: get the HELL out of my car."_

_"Sam," I began again._

_Sam undid his seat belt, took the keys out of the ignition, and got out of the car._

_He then walked over to my side, and opened the car door._

_"Get. Out." Sam said._

_"Sam, you're being ridiculous." I said._

_"Are you going to tell me what it is your hiding?" He asked._

_"Sam…..It's complicated." I said. _

_"Are you, or are you not, going to tell me what you're hiding from me, that you SHOULD have told me, at present time?" Sam asked._

_I looked at Sam._

_"I can't." I said._

_Sam stared at me for a moment, then he reached over me._

_"What are you doing?" I asked._

_Sam unbuckled my seat belt, and grabbed me. Pulling me out of the Challenger, and dropping me on the ground._

_I quickly got up, as Sam got behind the wheel once again._

_"Sam!" I called to him._

_Sam ignored me, and started the car._

_"SAM!" I yelled._

_But once again, Sam ignored me, and began to drive away._

_"SAM!" I yelled as I ran after him._

_But as he pulled farther away, I stopped running._

_"DAMN IT!" I shouted._

"I'm sorry, Callen." Emily said.

I was now in my car with Emily, who, was driving me home.

I had just told her what happened with Sam, and why he left me behind to walk.

Which, I don't understand why he did that.

I hide things from him ALL the time but he's _never _thrown me out of the car before.

Not even when I get him mad.

He just patiently waits for me to tell him, if I do tell him.

Obviously, Sam was on a patience shortage today.

I blame it on the lack of caffeine.

"It's ok." I said. "We'll be fine."

"You should have just told him." She said. "He's your _partner_. Your _best friend_. Part of your _family_…..If anyone should know about me, it's him."

I sighed knowing she was right.

"But we agreed to keep it a secret." I reminded her.

"He could have been the exception to the rule." Emily said. "Plus, it's not like it's going to last much longer."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, we ARE getting a divorce." She said. "I mean…I _can't_ marry Shawn until we do."

"….I know." I said quietly. Looking out the passenger side window, as I felt sad.


	8. Chapter 8

(The Next Morning)

(Callen's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_I saw Gordan sitting at his desk._

_"Hey, Gordan." I said, as I walked over to him._

_Gordan looked at me._

_"Hey, Callen." Gordan said, as I looked at Emily's desk, which was across from his._

_It was empty._

_"Where's your partner?" I asked._

_"She got shot." He said._

_I looked at him surprised._

_"She got shot?" I asked._

_Gordan nodded._

_"Is she ok?" I asked, concerned._

_"I don't know." He said._

_"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked him. "Don't you keep track of your partner?"_

_"She's just a Probie." Gordan said. _

_"It doesn't MATTER!" I snapped at him angrily. "She's YOUR partner! You should be with her! Not sitting here and doing nothing!"_

_"If you CARE about her so much, why don't YOU go to the hospital and see if she's DEAD?!" He snapped angrily back at me._

_"I will!" I said angrily to him. "Because unlike her partner, I _care_ about her."_

_Then, I stormed away from Gordan, and left the office._

I woke up, opening my eyes as I did, and looked around the room. Not sure where I was for a moment.

But as the familiar four walls of my bedroom became clearer, I sighed as I relaxed, and closed my eyes.

_I ran into the hospital. Searching frantically._

_Finding no doctor or nurse, I ran toward the front desk._

_"Hi." I said, to the nurse behind the desk, as soon as I reached it._

_The nurse looked up at me._

_"I need to know where someone is." I said. "Her name is Emily Taylor."_

_The nurse looked through the papers she had, then she said:_

_"It appears Miss Taylor is in surgery right now." Then the nurse looked up at me. "May I ask who you are in relation to her?"_

_"I'm her boyfriend." I answered automatically._

_"Ok." The nurse said. "How about you take a seat and I'll let you know if there are any updates."_

_"Thank you." I said._

_Then, I left the front desk, and walked over to the waiting room. Sitting down in a chair once I did._

I opened my eyes once again, and stared at my ceiling.

Then I turned onto my side and picked up my phone. Lighting it up as I did to see the time.

It was four thirty-four in the morning.

_I looked at my watch._

_It was four thirty-four in the afternoon._

_I have officially been here for a couple hours now. Waiting for any news about Emily._

_And I was growing impatient._

_I got up from the chair I was sitting in, and began to pace back and forth._

_Please let her be ok, I thought. Please….please let her be ok._

I splashed water on my face and looked at myself in the mirror in my bathroom.

In a way, I looked the way I always did.

But in another way, I looked sad, lost, and looking for a way to solve a problem, that seems as if it wasn't going to go in my favor.

_"Are you here for Miss Taylor?" I heard a voice ask._

_I looked toward the voice and saw a man in doctor's clothing, looking at me._

_"Yes." I said, walking over to him. "Is she ok? Is she going to be alright?"_

_"She got shot in the abdomen three times, and lost a lot of blood." The Doctor said. "But we managed to stop the bleeding. She will have to take it easy for a while but other than that, she will be just fine."_

_I let out a sigh in relief._

_"Thank God." I said. "Can I see her?"_

_"Of course." The Doctor said. "Follow me."_

_I followed the doctor down the hallway toward the hospital rooms._

_We passed about ten of them, when the doctor suddenly stopped in front of one._

_"Right in here." The Doctor said._

_"Thank you." I said._

_The doctor nodded, then he walked away._

_I opened the door to the hospital room and walked inside._

I opened the door to Emily's room as quietly as I could, and walked inside.

I saw Emily asleep on the floor.

She looked so peaceful. So beautiful.

Her being in love with someone else…wanting to get married to someone else…..

It was _killing_ me inside.

There's got to be some way I could get her to fall in love with me.

Right?

I watched Emily, as her nose twitched in her sleep.

I smiled.

_I closed the door behind me, then I looked at Emily._

_She was lying in the hospital bed. Hooked up to a heart monitor, which was beeping steadily._

_She was asleep, which I expected. Having just came out of surgery._

_She looked so peaceful. Despite how pale she looked._

_Then again, anyone who loses a lot of blood looks quite pale._

_I walked over to the chair by her bedside, and sat down._

_I then studied her more for a couple seconds, before taking her hand in both of mine._

_"I'm here." I said quietly to her. "I know I just met you this morning, but, I'm here for you when you wake up….You're not alone."_

I quietly closed Emily's bedroom door, and headed toward the front door.

_"I'm sorry." I said, as Emily put the damp wash cloth on my forehead._

_"For what?" Emily asked._

_"For this." I said. "I wanted our fifth anniversary to be special."_

_Emily laughed a little._

_"G., you getting shot, isn't your fault." She said. "But out of curiosity, what exactly did you plan on doing for our fifth anniversary?" _

_"Well," I began. "I was thinking about wining and dining you."_

_"Is that so?" Emily asked, smiling softly at me._

_"Yeah." I said, smiling back at her. "I was also thinking about maybe we could get drunk and make out a little bit."_

_Emily laughed again._

_"That sounds fun." She said. "But I like what we're doing right now."_

_"What's that?" I asked._

_"Us just being together." Emily said. "Despite the circumstances."_

I walked into the NCIS building, and headed straight for the empty bull pen.

Once I reached the bull pen, I walked over to my desk and sat my bag down on the floor.

I then turned around and leaned up against my desk.

_"Emily, there's something I have to tell you." I said. "Something important…Is it ok if I come over tonight?"_

_"Tonight?" Emily asked. _

_"Yeah." I said. "It's something I have to say in person."_

_"Well, I…" She began. "I can't see you tonight."_

_"Why not?" I asked. _

_"I'm going out on a date tonight." Emily said._

_"….Oh." I said, as it felt like my heart was hit with a ton of bricks. "With who?"_

_"With a guy named Shawn." She said, sounding a little too happy for my liking._

I took my phone out of my pocket, and went into my contact list. Scrolling toward a familiar name with a familiar number.

I then stared at the name and number with my thumb hovering over the send button.

Debating on whether or not to call.

_"Callen, I told you I could do this myself." Emily said stubbornly, as she took the wrench away from me._

_I smirked at her, as she began to tighten the shower head._

_"Then why did you call me over?" I asked her._

_"Because I wanted someone to talk to." She said. "…..There."_

_Emily removed the wrench from the shower head, and got out of the bath tub._

_"Now, when I turn it on, it should work." Emily said, clearly proud of herself._

_Emily grabbed the shower knob and turned it on._

_No water came out._

_I chuckled._

_"What are YOU laughing at?" She asked looking at me._

_"Nothing." I said, unable to stop the smile that came to my face._

_Emily got back into bath tub, and began to tighten the shower head again._

_"You're loosening it." I said, amused._

_"What?" Emily asked._

_"You're turning it the wrong way." I said, as I got in the bath tub with her. Standing behind her. "You're suppose to turn it this way."_

_I then placed my hands over her's and began to tighten the shower head._

_And not two seconds went by, when water came shooting out of the shower head._

_Emily let out a tiny scream, and I chuckled, as we got wet._

_I then let go of one of her hands and turned the water off._

_Emily and I then began to laugh, as Emily turned to face me._

_"Thanks." She said._

_"Not a problem." I said, looking in her eyes._

_Then, as our laughter came to a stop, it felt as if time stood still._

_I stared into Emily's beautiful eyes as she stared back into mine._

_I lifted my hand up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear._

_I then began to lean in._

_Suddenly, I heard a phone go off._

_"I better get that." Emily said softly._

_Then, Emily got out of the bath tub to answer her phone._

_And as she did, I realized I was about to kiss her._

_That I _wanted _to kiss her._

_I then went over everything that has happened with Emily, and how she made me feel whenever I was with her._

_Oh wow, I thought, as I realized what had happened without me even realizing it._

_I have fallen for Emily._

I pressed the send button, and put the phone to my ear as it began to ring.

Two rings later, the phone was answered.

"Hello?" Said a groggy voice.

"It's Callen." I said. "I'm sorry for waking you up, but is there a chance we can talk? There's something I need to get off my chest."


	9. Chapter 9

(At Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up to my phone ringing.

Groaning, I grabbed my phone, which was lying beside me, and answered it.

"Hello?" I said, tiredly.

"Hey, babe." I heard a voice say.

I opened my eyes as I tried to figure out who had called me.

"How's Los Angeles treating you?" The voice asked.

"Shawn?" I asked.

I heard him laugh.

"Yeah." Shawn said. "Who did you think it was?"

I mentally shook my head.

"Sorry," I said. "You woke me up…Took a minute for me to process you were on the phone."

Shawn chuckled.

"It's ok." He said. "So, how's LA?"

"It's just how I remember it." I said, sitting up. "How's home?"

"Empty without you." Shawn said.

"I miss you too." I said.

Suddenly, I heard someone yell to him in the background.

"Sorry to cut it short, but, I have to get back to work." Shawn said. "Call you tonight?"

"Ok." I said.

"Love you." He said.

"Love you too." I said.

Then, Shawn hung up the phone.

I hung up my phone and sighed.

I then grabbed the chain that was around my neck and un-hid it from underneath my shirt, and looked at it.

I looked at the butterfly ring that was being kept on the chain.

_"What's this?" I heard Shawn ask._

_I looked to where he was looking, and saw he had the butterfly ring in his hand._

_"My grandmother gave that to me." I said quickly, as I walked over to him, and took the ring out of his hand. "It's special to me."_

_Shawn laughed a little._

_"Does it even fit your finger?" He asked._

_I put the ring on my ring finger on my left hand with ease, and showed it to him._

I took the chain off from around my neck, and took the silver butterfly ring off the chain.

Then, I slid it on my ring finger of my left hand.

It still fit.

It fit _perfectly_.

As if the ring was meant to be there.

I took the butterfly ring off, and grabbed my bag I brought with me.

I unzipped one of the pockets, and took out the engagement ring Shawn had given me.

I then put the ring on my finger.

It fit just like I knew it would.

But it didn't feel _right_.

It felt as if it didn't belong there at all.

_"What do you think of this?" Callen asked me. Pointing to a ring inside the clear glass where it had a collection of rings._

_I looked at the ring._

_It was a simple ring. One diamond in the middle of the ring band._

_But it was beautiful._

_"Why are we looking at engagement rings again?" I asked him. Hoping this time he will answer me._

_Callen took a deep breath, looked at me with a smile, and said:_

_"I'm going to ask Tracy to marry me."_

_I looked at him in disbelief._

_"…What?" I asked._

_"I'm going to ask Tracy to marry me." Callen repeated, sounding quite happy._

_"You can't do that." I said, my heart feeling like it just got stabbed._

_"Why not?" He asked._

_"You two have only been together for a couple months." I said. "Plus, you're PARTNERS! What if you two break up?"_

_Callen narrowed his eyes at me._

_"We're not going to break up." Callen said._

_I swear the knife that stabbed my heart just went in deeper._

_"Callen, I don't think you should marry her." I said._

_"Why?" He asked._

_Because I love you, I thought._

_"Because….Because….." I began, trying to come up with a reason that won't point to how I felt about him._

_"Look Em," Callen began. "I understand that you care about me, and I appreciate the fact that you're looking out for me, but if you don't have a good reason as to why I shouldn't marry Tracy, then can you just be supportive and help me pick out a ring?"_

_I looked at Callen. Knowing I wouldn't be able to say 'no' to him._

_I could never say no to him._

_No matter how much I _wanted _to._

_"Ok." I said, putting on a smile, and pushing the way I felt for him aside._

_Callen smiled happily at me._

I shook my head and took the ring off. Putting it back in my bag and zipping it up as I did.

I then put the butterfly ring back on its chain, and put it around my neck once again.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At the beach)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"I appreciate you coming here and listening to me talk." I said, as he sat down next to me.

I was sitting on the beach, looking out into the water.

"You haven't talked yet." I heard Sam say.

I looked at Sam.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." I said. "I just…..we kept it a secret for so long, I just didn't know how to tell you."

"We?" Sam asked, giving me a questionable look.

I nodded.

"Who's the _'we'_ you're talking about?" He asked.

"Me, and my friend I made at the FBI." I said.

"What about her?" Sam asked.

I looked away from Sam. Thinking about how I was going to word what I was going to say.

"Roughly fifteen years ago, I met her." I said. "Three years later, I joined the CIA and she joined the DEA but we stayed in contact. We actually lived together at one point."

"G., is there a point to this?" I heard Sam ask.

I took a deep breath, and said:

"I'm married, Sam."

I then looked at him.

Sam just stared at me in shock.

Then, he laughed a little.

"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Sam asked.

I looked away from him.

"I got married to her." I said, continuing. "I got married to my FBI friend, after my divorce from Tracy was finalized."

"Wait," I heard Sam begin. "You're serious?"

I looked at Sam again and nodded.

"You're _married_?" Sam asked, clearly trying to process what I was telling him.

I nodded again.

"For almost ten years." I said.

Sam stared at me in shock.

"We didn't plan on getting married." I said. "It just happened."

"Why did you keep this from me?" Sam asked. "I'm YOUR partner!"

"I know." I said. "But I told you, I didn't know how to tell you after keeping it a secret for so long."

"What if you got severely hurt like you did a couple years ago when you got shot five times?!" He asked, clearly angry that I kept this a secret. "I'm sure SHE would have liked to know about it."

"She does." I said. "She DOES know about it. I told her myself. She even came to see me."

"She came to see you?" Sam asked.

I nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me then?" He asked. "Or _introduce_ me to her?"

"I told you," I said. "It was a secret between me and her. No one else knows."

"No one else knows you and your FBI friend are married?" Sam asked.

"No. No one." I said. "Not even Hetty…..That I know of."

"If you are married, then why did you keep going out with other girls?" He asked.

"When we got married, we didn't get married for love." I said. "We got married without a choice."

"Without a choice?" Sam asked. "How does that happen?"

"Long story." I said. "One I can't really discuss."

Sam stared at me for a moment, then he asked:

"OK….Then _why_ didn't you get a divorce or an annulment?"

"…..She didn't want to." I said softly, as I remembered. "She wanted to stay married because that way it would guarantee that we will always have each other…No matter what."

It was silent for a moment, then Sam asked:

"Is there a reason why you're telling me this now, G.?"

"…..yeah." I said, nodding a little.

"What's the reason?" He asked.

I looked away from Sam, and said:

"Because she's here….And she's getting married, and she wants a divorce and…..I don't want to let her go."

It was silent for a minute or two, then I heard Sam say:

"Because you're in love with her."

"I am." I admitted, quietly. "Blindingly so."

It was silent again.

I watched the tide come in on the beach, getting it wet before it retreated back into the water.

"So…..How are we going to do this?" I heard Sam ask, breaking the silence.

"How are we going to do what?" I asked.

"Get the girl." I heard Sam say.

I looked at Sam surprised.

"Well, you ARE going to fight for her, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"It was my plan." I said. "But I don't know how."

"That's why you came to me." He said, smiling. "I know what wives like."

I chuckled.

"But first, you have to introduce us." Sam said.

"Yeah….about that." I began.

"What?" He asked.

"You kind of _already_ met her." I said. "….But I can re-introduce you if you want?"

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Ah, Miss Taylor," Hetty said, as I walked into her office. "Please, have a seat."

I was at NCIS: OSP Headquarters.

Hetty had called me and asked for me to come see her.

"Ok." I said.

Then, I took a seat in a chair across from her.

"Would you like some tea?" Hetty asked.

"Oh, no thank you." I said.

"I trust Mr. Callen was nice to you yesterday?" She asked.

"He was." I said. "…No offense Hetty, but, why am I here?"

"That's an interesting ring you have there." Hetty said.

I looked at her confused.

Then, I noticed where she was looking.

"It's a butterfly ring. Yes?" She asked.

I looked down at myself and noticed my butterfly ring was showing and not underneath my clothing like I thought it was.

"Yes." I said, as I touched it.

"May I see it?" I heard Hetty ask.

I took the chain off my neck and handed it to Hetty.

Hetty took it, and began to examine the ring.

"It's quite pretty." Hetty said. "May I ask who gave it to you?"

"My grandmother." I said, automatically. "She gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday."

Hetty looked at me.

And I swear, she saw right through me.

"Well," She said. "Your grandmother has good taste."

Hetty then held the ring back toward me.

I took it, and put it around my neck once again. This time making sure it was underneath my clothes.

"As to why you're here, Miss Taylor," Hetty began. "Director Vance sent a case over to our office, because the suspect is now in Los Angeles. And your team happens to be the one who were assigned the case."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"That means, you are now working for me." She said, smiling a little. "At least, for the time being. Until this case is solved."

"Ok." I said. "But what about my team?"

"You are representing them." Hetty said.

"Alright." I said.

"You will be able to brief them, as soon as Mr. Hanna, and Mr. Callen arrive." She said. "For now, go up to OPS. Mr. Beale and Miss Jones will give you the case file."

"Ok." I said.

I then got up and began to leave her office.

"Oh, and Miss Taylor," I heard Hetty call after me.

I turned around and faced her.

"Maybe one day, you will trust me enough to tell me the _real_ story behind that ring." Hetty said.

"How-" I began, confused.

Hetty just smiled at me.

"That's right." I said as I remembered. "You know everything."

"_Almost_ everything." She said, as she continued to smile at me.

I smiled a little at her.

Then I turned back around, and headed toward the stairs up to OPS.


	10. Chapter 10

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"At LEAST tell me her name." I heard Sam say, as we made our way to the bull pen.

"Sam, I told you," I began as we entered the bull pen to see Kensi and Deeks at their desk, looking at us. "When I properly introduce you two, you will know."

"What are we talking about?" I heard Kensi ask, as I reached my desk.

"Nothing." I said at the same time I heard Sam say it.

I had asked Sam to not tell anyone about me being married.

Sam agreed to keep it a secret. But only because he said it would probably give Kensi and Deeks a heart attack if they found out.

"Come on, G." Sam said, as I turned to face him. "Give me a hint. Just a little one."

"Isn't you two _already_ met _enough_ of a hint for you?" I asked, as I walked passed Deeks desk and headed into the kitchen.

"No, not really." I heard Sam say.

"Can one of you fill us in on what you're talking about?" I heard Deeks ask, as I reached the kitchen counter and grabbed a cup.

I looked at Sam, and saw a teasing smile on his face.

"Sam," I began, warningly.

"Apparently I already met his FBI friend that he talks about all the time." Sam said.

"What?!" Kensi asked, surprised. "And you didn't think of me?!"

"Forget you, what about _me?!_" Deeks asked, sounding appalled. "From what you told us she sounds awesome, and hot, and badass-"

"For the last time, I'm NOT hooking you up with her." I said sternly to Deeks.

"But he won't tell me her _name_ so that I will know who he's talking about." Sam concluded.

"That's true, you've _never_ said her name." Kensi said. Sounding as if she just realized that fact.

I looked at Sam.

"If you think telling Deeks and Kensi about this will get me to tell you sooner, I'm sorry to inform you that it won't." I said. "I'm gonna make you wait…..Nice try, though."

"Hold up, you're not going to tell us her name?" Deeks asked.

"Nope." I said, as I turned back to the counter and grabbed the coffee pot.

"Well, _someones_ being more secretive than usual." I heard Kensi say, as I poured coffee in my cup.

"It's the way I am." I said, as I sat the coffee pot down, and began to head back into the bull pen.

"That's fine." Kensi said. "You know why? Because Sam will tell us who she is when he finds out. Won't you Sam?"

I looked at Sam, giving him a questioning look.

"Maybe." Sam said, holding my gaze.

I raised my eyebrow.

"Depending on how he treats me." Sam said.

I smiled a little and shook my head.

"So, what did you guys think of the NCIS Agent from Washington yesterday?" Deeks asked, as I took a sip of coffee. "Because if you ask me, despite her questionable work absences, she seemed nice. Not to mention, wowza!"

Hearing Deeks say that, made me cough in my cup.

"Seriously?" Kensi asked in disbelief. "_Wowza?_"

"I call it the way I see it." Deeks said, smirking. "She was one _smokin'_ hot babe."

"That's enough." I snapped at him.

Sam, Kensi, and Deeks looked at me surprised.

Just then, I heard the all too familiar whistle from Eric.

"Got a case!" Eric called down to us from the second floor, as we looked at him.

Deeks and Kensi got up and followed Sam out of the bull pen, as I sat my coffee cup down on my desk.

"Mr. Callen," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty was standing in between mine and Kensi's desk.

"Hetty," I said, greeting her.

"I trust you were kind to Miss Taylor yesterday when you were showing her around." Hetty said.

"Yes." I said. "I was."

"Good." She said, smiling at me.

I looked at her skeptically.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Hetty?" I asked.

"I think I should be asking you that question, Mr. Callen." Hetty said.

Shit.

She knows.

Keeping my mask in place, I shook my head.

"Not anything that I can think of." I said.

Hetty looked at me with her intimidating look.

"OH, you know, there is one thing," I said.

"Yes, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.

"Good morning." I said. Then I smiled.

I then left Hetty, who I heard mumble "Cheeky bastard" under her breath, and headed toward the stairs up to OPS.

Once I entered OPS, I looked toward the big screen and stopped in my tracks.

Emily was standing in front of the screen.

"Looks like we're all here." Emily said, as she looked over at me.

"Now can you tell us why _you're_ here?" Kensi asked her, not sounding too thrilled to see her.

I knew it was probably because Deeks had used _"Wowza"_ and _"Smokin' hot"_ to describe Emily, which I totally agree with despite me not liking _him_ saying that about her, for Kensi to sound the way she did.

But still, Kensi didn't have to be rude to her.

Which is why, my protectiveness came out.

"Kensi, be nice." I said, looking at her, as I walked over and stood by Sam.

Once again, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, along with Eric and Nell, looked at me surprised.

"To answer your question, I'm here to help on a case." Emily said, as everyone looked away from me and looked at her.

"What's the case?" Sam asked.

Emily then explained the case to us, as Eric and Nell showed photos, along with papers on the big screen behind her.

"So, basically, the murderer you're looking for is somewhere in Los Angeles, hiding from you and your team in Washington D.C. so that he won't go to jail for what he's done?" Deeks asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Emily said.

"Do you have any idea where this Brad Nichols is?" I asked her.

"There is actually a couple of residences in Los Angeles under Brad Nichols." Nell said.

"How many is a couple?" Kensi asked.

"A dozen." Eric said. "…..Or two…..Maybe three."

"So he could be in one of _at least_ thirty six places?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…..pretty much." Eric said.

"It will probably take two days to get through all of them." Deeks said. "Depending on _where_ in Los Angeles they are."

"Then let's not waste time." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty had entered OPS.

"What do you think we should do, Miss Taylor?" Hetty asked.

"The best solution would be to split the list of residences and go in teams to each residence until we find him." Emily said.

I smiled a little.

"I couldn't agree more." I said to her.

Emily smiled a little at me.

"Eric, send half of the list to Kensi's phone." I said. Then I looked at Kensi and Deeks. "Kensi, you and Deeks go search your list out. Sam, Emily, and I will go search the other half of the list."

"You can actually send some to LAPD." Deeks said to Eric. "I'm sure they will help."

"Thank you." Emily said to Deeks, giving him a small smile.

Deeks smiled a little back at her.

"Ok, let's go." Kensi said, grabbing Deeks arm, and began to drag him out of OPS.

Sam, Emily, and I followed them out.

"I didn't think you were here for a case." I said to Emily, as we headed toward the stairs.

"I wasn't." Emily said.

"So it just came up?" I asked, as we descended the stairs.

"Yeah." Emily said.

Once we got to the main floor, Emily and I headed toward the exit, as Sam went into the bull pen to retrieve his keys.

"Sam knows." I whispered to Emily.

Emily looked at me surprised.

"I told him this morning." I whispered to her, as we opened the double doors and walked outside. "But he doesn't know it's you…yet. I also think Hetty knows."

Emily nodded.

"So, when are you going to tell him it's me?" Emily asked, as Sam came out.

I looked at Sam, then I looked back at Emily and whispered:

"I'm going to make him wait."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In Sam's Car)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"How many more places do we have to go to?" Callen asked from the passenger seat.

Sam, Callen, and I were in Sam's car. Sam driving from place to place where the residence's name was Brad Nichols.

So far, he hasn't shown up.

Not the right one, anyway.

I looked at the paper in my hands and counted the places we haven't been.

"Five." I answered him.

"This is taking forever." Sam commented.

"Yeah, well, no one said it wouldn't." I said.

"She has a point, Sam." Callen said.

"It's like finding a needle in a hay stack." Sam said, sounding irritated. "What if he's not even home? And if that's the case, what if his house is one of the ones we _already_ went to?"

"That's why there's Eric and Nell." Callen said to him.

Eric and Nell were monitoring the houses and apartments we already went to incase there's any activity.

Sam sighed.

"Anyway," Sam began. Then he glanced in the review mirror at me. "I heard your dad was a SEAL."

"He was." I said, as I remembered Callen telling me his team heard things about me.

"So was Sam." Callen said.

"I know." I said, remembering the first time Callen talked about Sam to me.

_"Taylor," I said into the phone._

_"I met my new partner today." I heard Callen's voice say on the other side of the phone._

_"Really?" I asked,  
intrigued, as I closed my book. "What's he like?"_

_"Three words." Callen said. "Ex. Navy. SEAL."_

_"He's a Navy SEAL?" I asked._

_"Yeah." He said. "A controlling one at that."_

_I laughed a little._

_"But other than that, he seems like a good guy." Callen said, sounding sincere. "We'll see how tomorrow goes."_

But even if Callen didn't tell me, I would have known he was.

Sam glanced a suspicious glance my way in the mirror.

"The way you stand screams SEAL." I said to him.

Sam chuckled.

"Seems like that is always the giveaway." Sam said.

As Sam drove us to the next place, the three of us continued to talk.

And while we talked, I had concluded that Sam was the nice person I pegged him out to be when I heard Callen talk about him.

Sam really had no idea how happy I was that he was here for Callen, when I couldn't be.

Sam pulled into the driveway of a house, and parked the car.

Then, Sam and Callen got out of the car. Callen holding the seat back for me to get out.

"Thanks." I said to him, once I was out of the car.

Callen smiled at me.

"G.," I heard Sam say.

Callen and I looked at Sam, and Sam pointed toward the open garage door.

There was a car in the garage.

"Looks like someones home." I said to Callen.

"Sam, take the back." Callen said.

Sam nodded, and headed toward the back of the house. Taking his gun out as he did.

Callen took his own gun out and looked at me.

"You carrying?" He asked.

"Are you kidding?" I asked.

Callen looked at me with his eyebrow raised.

I rolled my eyes, took my gun out from behind my back, and showed it to him.

Callen smirked.

Then, Callen and I headed toward the front door of the house. Him standing on one side of the door and me standing on the other.

Callen then knocked on the door.

"Brad Nichols." Callen said loudly. "Federal Agents. Open the door."

It was silent.

"Fine, I guess we're doing it the old fashion way." Callen said.

I was about to move in front of the door when Callen asked:

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to kick down the door." I said, as if it was obvious.

"Like _hell_ you are." He said, walking toward me.

"Callen, I am perfectly capable of kicking down a door." I said. "And I KNOW you're aware of that."

"I'm the _Lead_ Agent." Callen said.

"I'm the Lead Agent on this _case_." I said.

"Whatever happened to us being partners?" He asked.

"We're _always_ partners." I said. "And what does that have to do with kicking down the door?"

"I always kicked down the door when we were partners." Callen said.

"Not always." I said.

"Name one time." He said.

"Now?!" I asked, in disbelief.

"Yes, now." Callen said.

"Callen, we're in the _middle_ of something here." I said.

Just then the door to the house opened.

Callen and I immediately aimed our guns at the entrance to the house.

And when we did, we saw Sam standing there with an amused look on his face.

Callen and I lowered our guns.

"Why does it seem like I'm the only one doing all the work around here?" Sam asked.

"Did you find anything?" Callen asked, ignoring Sam's comment.

"Yeah." Sam said, looking grim. "Come on in."

Sam then began to walk away from us.

I walked into the house putting my gun away as I did and followed Sam. Callen following close behind me.

Sam led us up the stairs and into a bedroom.

And once we entered, we saw a man spread out on the bed covered in blood.

"Looks like we found Brad." Callen said.

"Yeah," I said. "But who did this to him?"

"Good question." Sam said.

Callen took out his phone, dialed a number and put it to his ear.

"Yeah, Eric, we need a forensics team." Callen said. "And a coroner. Tell Deeks, Kensi, and LAPD to stop searching. We found him."

Then, Callen ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket.

"And now we wait." Callen said.

It was silent for a moment, then Sam, Callen, and I walked out of the bedroom, and headed down stairs.

"I hope they get here fast." Sam said, as we walked out of the house. "I'm hungry and could really go for a burger right about now."

Callen and I laughed a little.

Then, suddenly, I heard the squealing of tires.

I looked toward he noise, and saw a minivan on it's side facing us.

And two people with machine guns aimed at us.

"Get down!" I heard Callen yell, followed by feeling someones hands on me, pulling me toward the Challenger.

Then, I heard gun fire.

I fell on my side on the ground behind the Challenger, with someone falling on top of me.

"Stay down." I heard Callen say in my ear.

The shots seemed to have gone on forever.

But once they were over, I heard the squealing of tires, and a vehicle speeding down the road.

"Are you ok?" I heard Callen ask. Sounding worried.

I turned the best I could with him on top of me to face him.

"Yeah." I said. "Are you?"

Callen let out a sigh in relief.

"Yeah." He said. "I'm fine."

Callen and I then stared at each other.

"Argh!" I heard someone say angrily.

Callen got off me and we both stood up and looked at Sam, who was standing by the Challenger, with a not too happy look on his face.

"Sam? What's wrong?" Callen asked, concerned. "Are you ok?"

"They shot her!" Sam said.

"Shot who?" I asked.

"My CAR!" Sam said. "Those bastards shot MY car!"

Callen and I walked over to where Sam was and saw the several bullet holes in the Challenger.

"Why would they do that?!" Sam asked, sounding sad yet very angry at the same time. "What did the car ever do to them?!"

Callen put his hand on Sam's shoulder.


	11. Chapter 11

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Callen," I said, keeping my eyes on them._

_"Emily, I told you," I heard Callen begin. "I promise this will be my last beer."_

_"Callen," I said again, feeling uneasy, as the four men stood up, and began to make their way over to us._

_"And I promise we will do whatever you want to do after we leave here." I heard Callen say. _

_"G.!" I snapped at him._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Callen look at me, then he looked at the four men who were making their way slowly toward us._

_I heard Callen set down his beer._

_Then, Callen grabbed my hand, and we bolted, as I heard crashes and screams behind us._

_Letting me know, the four men were running after us._

"Those bastards are going to _pay_ for what they did to my car." Sam said, angrily.

Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Nell, Eric, Hetty, Callen, and I were now in OPS.

"It should have been _your_ car." Sam said to Callen.

"_My_ car?" Callen asked.

"Yeah." Sam said. "Why didn't we take it?"

"Because you wanted to take the Challenger." Callen said. "Like we _always_ do."

Sam stared at Callen for a moment, then he said:

"It should have been your car."

Callen rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Hanna," Hetty said. "I know not having the Challenger is _devastating_ for you. But I promise you will have it back in no time. For now, let's focus on this case." Then, Hetty looked at Eric. "Mr. Beale, what can you tell us about the mystery vehicle?"

"It's a tan minivan." Eric said. "No plates."

"Do you know where it went?" Callen asked.

"No." Nell said. "It disappears were there aren't any cameras and we haven't seen it resurface yet."

"However," Eric said. "I was looking at the video." Suddenly the video of what happened showed up on the screen. "And I noticed something."

Then the video began to play.

I saw Callen pull me away behind the Challenger and push me down, while Sam ducked behind some trash cans, as the shooting began.

And that's when I saw it.

"Oh my god." I said.

"What?" I heard Callen ask, as Eric stopped playing the video.

"They're not shooting at Sam." I said. "They're shooting at _us_."

"What?" I heard Deeks ask.

"Eric, replay it." I heard Callen say.

The video rewind, and then it began to play again.

And as it did, I saw the bullets flying toward me and Callen.

But not toward Sam.

Eric stopped the video again.

"Oh my god." I heard Kensi say.

"Why were they only shooting at Callen and Emily?" I heard Deeks ask. "….No offense, Sam."

"I'll try not to take it personally." I heard Sam say.

_"He's all yours." Callen said, handing him over to the cop._

_"You will pay for this, you know." He said. "You and her. You two will be dead. Even if it's the last thing I do."_

I glanced at Callen to see he was looking at me.

And I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was.

"I have no idea." I said.

"Me neither." Callen said. "But then again, with me, it could be anyone."

"He DOES have a point there." Deeks said.

"Miss Jones," Hetty began. "Do a more thorough background check on Brad Nichols."

"On it." Nell said.

Then, she headed toward a computer.

"As for you four," Hetty began looking at Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and Callen. "I want you to do paperwork while Miss Jones is doing a background check. As for you, Miss Taylor," Hetty then looked at me. "Do make yourself at home."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

_"You ok?" Callen whispered me._

_I removed my hand from my shoulder and looked at my wound._

_"I think it's a flesh wound." I whispered. "I should be fine. When is back up going to be here?"_

_Callen looked at his watch._

_"Not for another fifteen minutes." He whispered._

_"We don't have that long." I whispered._

_Callen looked around the wall cautiously and immediately looked away._

_"Oh, Federal Agents!" I heard someone say in a sing song voice. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"_

_"We need to get to Midura." I whispered to Callen. "Before he sells those weapons."_

_"I know." Callen whispered, as he looked around where we were hiding. "….I got an idea. Follow my lead."_

I fired my gun at the paper target five times. Then, I clicked the switch to have it be brought to me.

After everyone left OPS, I couldn't help but feel like there was nothing for me to do but sit and wait.

So, I went to the shooting range Callen showed me yesterday, and began to fire at the paper targets that were provided.

I just had to do something other than sit and wait.

_"Freeze, Midura!" Callen said, as we aimed our guns at him._

_Midura and Sheela stopped walking, and turned around to face us, with grins on their faces._

I took the target paper off the clips and headed into the gun room. Folding the paper up as I did.

"Emily," I heard a voice say.

I stopped walking and looked toward the voice to see Kensi standing in the doorway of the weapon room.

"Kensi," I said, surprised. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to see what you were up to." Kensi said.

I studied Kensi and knew there was more to it than seeing what I was up to.

"Ok." I said going along with it, as I put the now folded target paper in my pocket. "I just got done shooting targets. Now I'm going to clean my gun…..You can watch if you like."

I then walked over to a table, and took my gun apart. Setting the parts down on the table as I did.

It wasn't until I began to clean my gun, that I heard Kensi ask:

"Can you tell me something?"

"I can tell you a lot of things." I said. "You're going to have to be specific."

"Why does Callen like you so much?" I heard Kensi ask.

I stopped cleaning my gun and looked at her confused.

"Callen _doesn't_ become trustful with anyone at first glance." Kensi explained, as she walked closer to me. "It always takes something _specific_ to make him _trust_ or even _like_ someone. And even then it may take a while for him to _actually_ trust or like that person _fully_, so….I guess what I'm asking is, why is it he met you only yesterday, yet he seems to trust and like you as if you were a friend of his for the past twenty years?"

_"So, there's this new person on the team with me and Sam." Callen said, as he grabbed the pork fried rice carton._

_"Really?" I asked. "Who is it?"_

_"Her name is Kensi." He said, as he began to pour some of the rice out with his fork. "She's stubborn at times, but she's a good agent. When it comes to something being out of the ordinary, she notices and won't stop looking for an answer until she knows the reason why."_

_"I thought you liked that in a person?" I asked. "Especially when it came to your team?"_

_"Not when I drink coffee for three days, then the next day drink tea, and having her ask why I suddenly switched." Callen said, as he put the pork fried rice carton back down on the table._

_I laughed._

_"I already know she's going to be a handful." He said._

_"Give her a chance." I said._

_"I am." Callen said. "I'm going to. Don't worry."_

I shrugged.

"I don't know the answer to that." I said to her. "You're going to have to ask him."

Kensi studied me as I went back to cleaning my gun.

"You're hiding something." I heard Kensi say.

"Everyone hides things, Kensi." I said, as I continued to clean my gun. "I'm pretty sure you're hiding things at this very moment yourself."

"Yeah, but, there's something about you." I heard Kensi say. "Something that puts off you're keeping something on low profile….."

I stopped cleaning my gun and looked at her.

"Kensi,"I began. "Like I said, everybody has their secrets. And sometimes, those secrets, have to _remain_ secrets….I'm sure you can understand that."

"Yes." Kensi said, giving me a nod. "I do understand that."

"Ok." I said.

It was silent then, as I went back to cleaning my gun.

After a couple minutes of silence, I heard Kensi ask:

"Is it weird that I have this _feeling _that I should get to know you?"

_I woke up to the sound of an annoying steady beeping sound._

_I opened my eyes slowly, and looked around the room._

_I was in a hospital room._

_Which meant that annoying sound was coming from the heart monitor._

_Why am I here again? I thought._

_Then, I remembered that I got shot._

_And as if on cue, I felt a slight pain in my abdomen._

_I groaned._

_"Emily?" I heard a voice say, followed by a gentle squeeze to my hand._

_I looked toward the voice and saw the man I met in the break room when I went to get coffee._

_What was his name again?_

_"It's Callen." He said to me softly. "Are you ok?"_

_That's it!_

_"C-C-Callen," I said, my voice weak. "Yeah, I'm-I'm ok."_

_Callen let out a sigh in relief._

_"I'm so glad to hear that." He said, smiling at me. _

_"Can…Can I ask why you're-you're here?" I asked, confused._

_"I heard what happened." Callen said. "I came to see if you were ok."_

_"Really?" I asked._

_"Yeah." He said. "I just…..wanted to make sure I will be able to get to know you….Because not only do I want to, but…..I feel like I should."_

_I smiled a little at him._

_"I feel like I should get to know you, too." I said honestly to him._

I smiled a little.

"No." I said. "I feel the same way."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_I took a deep breath, put my gun away, walked out of my hiding spot, and into the line of sight of the three pursuers, with my hands up._

_"Ah, there's one." The guy in the middle said, happily, as him and his two companions pointed their guns at me. "Where is your lovely partner?"_

_"She ditched me." I said._

_The man laughed._

_"Why is it I don't believe that?" He asked. _

_"I would if I were you." I said. "My wife and I just got a divorce...Apparently women aren't _fond_ of me like I thought they were."_

_The man laughed again._

_"Pity." He said. "I would have made a dishonest woman out of her."_

_When he said that, I instantly wanted to kill him with my bare hands._

_Just like all the other guys who would make a comment about Emily that way._

_"I don't think you would have gotten the chance." I said. "On the count I would kill you before you laid one hand on her."_

_"She ditched you, and yet, you remain _loyal_ to her?" He asked. "Sounds like she has you wrapped around her finger."_

_I looked at the mirror behind them as they laughed, and saw the signal I was waiting for._

_"No matter." The middle man said, as I looked back at him. "This ends now."_

"G.," I heard a voice say, taking me out of my thoughts.

I looked toward the voice and saw Sam looking at me from his desk.

"Yeah, Sam?" I asked.

"What were you thinking about?" Sam asked.

"Um, nothing." I said, shaking my head. "I think I'm going to go outside…Get some fresh air."

"Ok." Sam said, giving me a worried look.

I then got up and headed out of the bull pen, toward the exit.


	12. Chapter 12

(Outside the NCIS Building)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I opened the door and walked outside.

And when I did, I saw Callen sitting down on the ground, with his back against the building wall.

I walked over to him.

"Hey," I said, once I reached him.

Callen looked up at me.

"Can I sit with you?" I asked.

"You never have to ask." Callen said.

I sat down on the ground beside him.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Callen asked.

"How did you know I was out here?"

"Kensi asked where you went when we returned to the bull pen." I said. "….I slipped away."

"I'm glad you did." He said.

It was silent once again for a minute, then I asked:

"Do you think…with what happened today…That he's behind it?"

Callen remained silent for a couple seconds, then he said:

"God I hope not."

Silence consumed us again.

"If it is him though…" Callen began, before becoming silent.

But he didn't have to say any more.

"Yeah." I said. "I know."

"I will protect you." He said.

"I will protect you, too." I said. "Always."

Callen smiled a little as he took my hand in his.

I smiled a little back at him, as I felt my feelings for him come to the forefront.

Don't think like that, I thought. He doesn't feel the same way.

_Don't think like that, I thought. He doesn't feel the same way._

_I tore my eyes away from Callen, as he looked at himself in the full length mirror._

_"Does my tux look ok?" I heard Callen ask._

_"Yep." I said, looking at anything else in the room but him._

_"Are you sure?" I heard Callen ask. "I want this day to be perfect."_

_"Very sure." I said, still not looking at him._

_"You're not even looking at me." I heard Callen say._

_I looked at Callen, and saw he was looking at me with those blue eyes of his._

_Did I do something in a past life to deserve this?_

_I smiled softly at him._

_"Callen," I said. "G., you look…"_

_Perfect. Handsome. Everything I ever wanted._

_"Your tie." I said, pointing at it._

_Callen looked down at his badly tied bow tie._

_Callen sighed._

_"I could never get it right." He said._

_I giggled, as I walked over to him, and began to undo what he had done to the bow tie._

_"I'm so nervous." Callen said._

_"You? Nervous?" I asked. "I didn't think that was possible."_

_"Ha, ha, very funny." He said sarcastically, smiling a little._

_"You will be fine." I said, assuring him, as I began to tie his bow tie the right way._

_Callen took a deep breath._

_"I don't know what I would do without you." He said._

_"Well, luckily, you will never have to find out." I said. Then I finished tying his bow tie. "There."_

_Callen turned around to look at his bow tie in the mirror. Then, he turned back around, and looked at me with his crooked grin on his face._

_"Thanks, Em." Callen said._

_"Now, are you sure you want to go through with this?" I asked. Hoping he would say no. "Because if not, me and you can walk out of here right now without anyone knowing."_

_Callen chuckled._

_Then, he took my hands in his._

_"I'm sure." Callen said, looking me in the eyes. "I want to do this. I love her."_

_I nodded, as I fought back tears._

_Callen smiled._

_I smiled the best I could back at him._

_Then, Callen kissed my cheek, and walked by me toward the chair where his suit jacket was. Letting go of my hands as he did._

"Um," I began, looking away from him. "We should…..Um…"

Just then, I heard the door to the building open.

"Callen," I heard a voice say.

I immediately withdrew my hand from Callen's as I looked at who said his name.

It was Deeks.

"Nell wants everyone in OPS." Deeks said, looking at us suspiciously.

"Ok." Callen began. "We'll be there in-"

But before Callen could finish, I got up, walked by Deeks, and quickly went inside the building.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Deeks and I watched Emily walk by Deeks and enter the NCIS building.

Deeks then looked back at me.

"What did you do?" Deeks asked me.

"What do you mean, what did I do?" I asked, as I stood up.

"Really?" He asked. "Did you _not_ notice the girl who walked _away_ from you, passed me, and into the building with a sad _look_ on her face?"

So I wasn't seeing things, I thought.

"What did you say to her to make her sad?" Deeks asked.

"I didn't say anything." I said. Re-thinking about what we were talking about.

"Huh," Deeks said. "Strange."

"Yeah." I said. "Strange."

Then I walked by Deeks, and went inside the building.

"What do you think it could have been?" I heard Deeks ask, as we headed toward the stairs.

"I don't know." I said.

"Maybe I should talk to her." I heard Deeks say, as we began to climb the stairs.

I stopped walking and turned around to face him.

"Or maybe you shouldn't bring it up." I said. "I'm sure if she wanted to say why she seemed sad just now, she will say it."

"But maybe she needs someone to talk to?" Deeks suggested.

"Then let her find someone." I said.

I then turned back around and began to go up the stairs again.

"I'm just saying, maybe she needs a shoulder to cry on." I heard Deeks say. "Someone to hold her during the night."

I suddenly knew what he was thinking.

I stopped walking once again, and turned around to face him once more.

I then walked down a step to reach him.

"I'm going to say this _once_." I said to him, in a low voice. Looking him in the eyes as I did to make sure my point got across. "Leave. Her. Alone."

Deeks was about to say something, but before he could, I said sternly:

"I _mean_ it, Deeks."

Deeks looked at me surprised.

"Mr. Callen, Mr. Deeks, is there a problem?" I heard a voice say behind me.

I looked behind me to see Hetty at the top of the second set of stairs, looking down at us.

"No." I said. "There's no problem, Hetty."

"Then I suggest you two get in OPS, now." Hetty said.

Then, Hetty walked toward OPS.

I looked back at Deeks, silently telling him I meant what I said, before I went up the stairs, and headed toward OPS.

Once I entered OPS, Deeks quickly walked by me and headed straight over to Kensi, who was giving him a concerned look.

"Deeks, you ok?" Kensi asked, once he reached her.

"Yeah. Super." Deeks said, avoiding my gaze. "What did you find, Nell?"

Suddenly, Brad Nichols picture showed up on the screen followed by others.

I looked at all the pictures and was relieved when I didn't see a certain photo among them.

"I haven't found anything in his present that sounded off alarm bells." Nell began. "However, when I looked into Brad Nichols past-"

"The alarm bells went off." Sam said, finishing her sentence.

Nell gave him a nod.

"You might actually recognize some of these people." Nell said.

"I do." I said. "Some of them we actually arrested ourselves."

Nell nodded.

"Here's where it get's weird." Nell said. "All of these guys are either in prison or dead, except for one."

Then, one of the pictures became enlarged.

"Nick Houghes." Kensi said.

"Who's he?" Emily asked.

"Nick Houghes was a Petty Officer." Eric explained. "He was trying to sell things he knew about the military to our enemies."

"In the case we got, he killed a fellow Petty Officer who figured out what he was up to." I continued. "….I thought he was going to be in prison for another five years?"

"He was released on good behavior." Nell said. "Two weeks ago."

"Looks like we're going to have to pay him a visit." Sam said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Are you ok?" I heard Sam ask.

Sam and I were in my car, heading toward Nick Houghes apartment building.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Are you sure?" I heard Sam ask. "You seemed a little ticked off when you came into OPS."

"I'm fine, Sam." I said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then I heard Sam ask:

"Deeks did something, didn't he?"

"Let it go, Sam." I said, as I pulled into the apartment buildings parking lot.

"He DID do something." I heard Sam say. Then, he chuckled. "Now the way he looked makes sense."

I pulled into an empty parking space and parked the car.

"So?" I heard Sam ask, as I turned the car off and took the key out of the ignition.

"So, what?" I asked.

"What did he do?" I heard Sam ask.

I opened the car door and got out of the car.

"Seriously?" I heard Sam say as he got out of the car also. "You're not going to tell me what he did?"

"Nope." I said, as I closed the car door, put my car key in my pocket, and headed toward the apartment building.

I heard Sam mumble something as he followed.

After getting the apartment number, Sam and I walk up a flight of stairs, and headed toward the apartment that was Nick Houghes'.

"You know what I don't get?" Sam asked.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Why Nick Houghes would go after you." He said. "I mean, despite him betraying our country, he seemed sincere when he said he didn't mean to kill Petty Officer Peter George. Even Nate said he was telling the truth, and that he wouldn't kill anyone unless they were going to _attack_ him."

"But Petty Officer Peter George _didn't_ attack him." I pointed out to Sam. "After he confronted him, Nick Houghes panicked."

"But Nick Houghes took being _confronted_ as being _attacked_." Sam pointed out to me. Then he added: "It still doesn't make sense as to why he would go after you."

"Maybe he's not." I said. "But," Then, Sam and I stopped at Nick Houghes' apartment door. "He might know who would want Brad Nichols dead."

Sam knocked on the door.

"Nick Houghes," Sam said loudly. "It's Agent Hanna and Agent Callen. We need to talk to you."

After a couple seconds went by, Sam knocked on the door again.

"Nick Houghes," Sam said.

After a couple more seconds went by, Sam and I looked at each other.

Then, we took our guns out.

Sam held up his hand with three of his fingers sticking up.

Then, one by one Sam put down his fingers.

And once he was left with one finger up, Sam kicked the apartment door open.

I walked by Sam and headed into the apartment with my gun at the ready. Sam following me shortly after.

As soon as I entered, I noticed the apartment was a mess.

Something I knew was definitely out of the ordinary for Nick Houghes.

I headed away from the living room and toward the bedroom.

The door was closed.

I opened it slowly with my foot.

And when I did, I saw Nick Houghes face down on the carpet with a big blood stain on his back.

I lowered my gun.

"Sam," I called out to him.

Seconds later, I heard footsteps come into the room, and stop beside me.

"Damn." I heard Sam say.

I then looked at Sam, just in time to see him look at me.


	13. Chapter 13

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_Callen opened the door, turned on the light, and walked inside. I walked in soon after._

_"Wow," I said as I entered his apartment and looked around. "This is a nice place."_

_"I agree." I heard Callen say as he closed the door._

_I looked more around the room and noticed there wasn't any furniture._

_"Did you just move in?" I asked, looking at him._

_"Nope." Callen said, as he walked to my side._

_"Then where's your furniture?" I asked confused._

_"I….._tend _to not stay in one place too long." He said._

_"Why?" I asked._

_"How about I take this into the kitchen?" Callen offered, as he took the Chinese bag out of my hand, and avoiding the question._

_"Ok." I said, letting it slide._

_Callen then headed toward the kitchen._

_I looked around the living room and noticed Callen's duffle bag on the floor._

_And that's when I saw something sparkle from the light._

_Curious, I walked over to the duffle bag, squatted beside it, and looked to see what it was that was sparkling._

_It was a silver ring._

_I picked up the ring and examined it._

_It had butterflies around the band._

_It was beautiful._

_"What are you doing?" I heard a voice ask._

_I turned around and saw Callen was back in the room._

_"Callen," I said, as I stood up._

_"What's in your hand?" Callen asked, as he walked toward me._

_"I saw something sparkle by your bag." I explained. "And I found this."_

_I then showed him the silver butterfly ring._

_Callen took the ring from me and put it in his pocket._

_"I think maybe you should go." He said._

_"But I thought-" I began._

_"Just go, Em." Callen said. Seriousness showing on his face._

_"…Ok." I said._

_Then, I walked away from Callen and toward the door._

_Then, I opened the door and left. Closing it behind me._

I was sitting on the couch in the NCIS building. Looking at the silver butterfly ring that I was currently wearing around my neck.

"You look deep in thought." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty standing in the entrance of the bull pen.

I put the butterfly ring back underneath my shirt.

Then, I smiled at Hetty.

"Hello, Hetty." I said. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering, if you would like to join me for a cup of tea?" Hetty asked.

"I'd love to." I said.

Then I got up, and followed Hetty to her office.

Once in Hetty's Office, I sat down in the chair across from her desk, as Hetty walked behind her desk to her tea set.

She then picked up her tea kettle, and poured tea in two tea cups.

She then sat down the tea kettle, picked one of the tea cups up, and held it out to me.

"Thank you." I said, as I took the tea cup from her.

Hetty smiled at me.

Then, she grabbed the other tea cup, sat it down on her desk, and sat down in her chair.

It was silent for a couple seconds, as we both sipped our tea in silence.

Then, Hetty asked:

"May I ask what you were thinking about?"

"It was nothing." I said.

"When someone is in such deep thought like you were Miss Taylor, it suggests that what the person is thinking about, is rather important to them." She said. "And would maybe like to talk about it to someone."

_"Taxi!" I shouted, as I waved at the taxi that was coming my way._

_The taxi ignored me and sped right by me._

_I sighed as I put my arm down._

_"Emily!" I heard a voice say._

_I turned around and saw Callen jogging up to me._

_"I….." Callen began, once he reached me. "I'm sorry about what just happened…..Please come back upstairs?"_

_"But I thought you wanted me to go?" I asked._

_Callen sighed._

_"It took me off guard." He said. _

_"What did?" I asked._

_"You holding the ring." Callen said._

I shook my head.

"I'm good, Hetty." I said. "But, thank you."

"Alright." Hetty said.

_"I'm sorry, Callen." I said softly to him, as I rubbed my hand on his back._

_"It's ok." Callen said, quietly. "It's not your fault."_

_"I can only imagine what you went through." I said. "….Just out of curiosity though, why did you tell me about your family and childhood?"_

_Callen looked away from me._

_"I don't know." He said quietly. "I just feel like you should know….That I can trust you." Then he looked at me. "And my feelings are never wrong."_

_I smiled softly at him._

_"Now….about the ring," Callen began._

_"Callen, you don't have to tell me." I said._

_"I want to." He said. _

_I gave him a nod, and waited for him to continue._

_"The butterfly ring you found tonight, I had since I could remember." Callen said. "I'm not sure where it came from, but I was told it was with me when I entered the foster care system, so I always assumed it belong to my mother…..whoever and wherever she was….but I don't know if I'm right." _

_"And when you saw me with it," I began._

_"I panicked." He said. Then, he chuckled. "I know it was silly, but you're the first person I actually let myself get close to in a long time."_

_"The other person being Alina." I said. "Your foster sister."_

_Callen nodded._

"Miss Taylor?" I heard a voice say, taking me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?" I asked as I looked at Hetty.

Hetty smiled softly at me.

"I asked how your stay in Los Angeles has been so far?" She said.

"Oh," I said. "It's been fine."

"That's good." Hetty said. "I see you're _staying_ with Mr. Callen."

How did she…..

Right.

She knows everything.

I keep forgetting that.

"Yes. I am." I said, honestly.

"I do hope he's not making you sleep on the floor." She said.

I laughed a little.

"No, he's not making me." I said. "I actually don't mind it."

"Pity you two didn't go out to buy a bed." Hetty said, as I began to take a sip of my tea. "Because not only would that be the first _real_ furniture in his house, but you two could have _shared_ it."

I spit what I sipped back in my tea cup, as Hetty smiled a little.

I removed the cup from my mouth, and sat it down on Hetty's desk carefully.

"Why-why-why would, we sh-_share_ a bed?" I stuttered out.

Callen and I sharing a bed wasn't out of the ordinary.

In fact, we did share a bed a couple times undercover when we had to work on cases together.

Or on cold nights when we lived together because Callen _claimed_ that the couch attracts all the cold, and instead of using the spare bedroom I had, he _wanted_ to sleep on the couch, or on cold nights, in my bed.

Nothing happened, _of course_.

But still.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Miss Taylor." Hetty said, smiling more as she sipped her tea.

I suddenly felt my face heat up. Letting me know I was blushing.

_"Dearly, beloved," The Reverend began. "We are gathered here today-"_

_"Can you _possibly_ go _any_ faster?" Callen asked him. "We're _kinda_ in a hurry."_

_The Reverend looked at Callen in disbelief._

_"It's no offense to you, but, it's true." I said. "We are in a MAJOR hurry."_

"Ah, Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said.

"Hetty, we got a problem." Sam said, as I turned in my seat and looked at them.

Callen glanced at me, and looked at me confused.

"What kind of problem?" Hetty asked.

"Nick Houghes is dead, Hetty." Callen said, looking away from me, and looking at her.

"Looks like we _do_ have a problem, gentlemen." Hetty said, becoming serious.

"What should we do now?" Callen asked.

"OPS." Hetty said. "Now."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Later)

(At Callen's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Emily and I walked into my house. Me closing the door behind us.

When everyone went up to OPS, we tried to come up with something to go forward with for the case.

We came up with nothing.

So, Hetty sent us home to get some rest, so that our minds will be fresh for tomorrow.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, as Emily headed toward her bedroom.

"Sure." Emily said, as I followed her.

"What did Hetty say to you to make you blush?" I asked.

"That, is none of your business." Emily said.

"But I want to know." I said, as Emily reached her bedroom door.

"You know what they say," She said as she turned to face me. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Good thing I'm a _wolf_, then." I said, walking up to her. A smirk on my face.

"You think you're SO charming." Emily said.

"I am, aren't I?" I asked.

She laughed a little, as I smiled more.

"I love your laugh." I said.

Emily blushed.

"I'm…..going to go get some clothes and take a shower." Emily said. "So, if you don't mind…."

Then, it was silent between us, as we stared at each other.

I so badly wanted to ask her if I could take a shower _with_ her.

But I held my tongue.

"Ok." I said.

Then, Emily turned around, opened the door to her bedroom, and went inside. Closing the door behind her.

_"So, when are you going to tell your boyfriend about me?" I asked, as I lied down on my roll out bed._

_"I actually wasn't going to." Emily said._

_"Why not?" I asked. "Are you ashamed of me?"_

_Emily laughed a little._

_"I'm not _ashamed_ of you, Callen." She said. "I guess you could say, I just want you all to myself."_

_I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face._

_"Is that so?" I asked. Then I heard a ruffle of papers. "What are you doing?"_

_"I am looking for something." Emily said._

_"And what are you looking for?" I asked._

_"My mom sent me a list of things my dad wanted for his birthday." She said. "And now I can't find it."_

_"I told you to be more organized." I said._

_"You're not helping." Emily said. "And you can't really talk."_

_"My house isn't messy." I pointed out to her._

_"You don't have _anything_ in your house, so, _you_ don't count." She said. "Plus, my place isn't messy. It's just my coffee table."_

_"Well, I hope you find my mother –in- laws list for my father –in- laws birthday." I said._

_"Thanks." Emily said. "I need all the luck I can get at this point."_

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

I walked away from Emily's bedroom door, and headed toward the front door.

When there was a second knock on the door, I realized I wasn't expecting anyone.

And I knew Emily wasn't expecting anyone either.

I walked over to the door, and put one hand on the door knob, as I put my other hand on my gun. Getting ready to use it if necessary.

I then opened the door a crack. Just enough for me to look out.

Standing on the other side of the door, was Sam.

I let out a sigh of relief, as I opened the door fully.

"You could have called." I said.

"And ruin our tradition?" Sam asked, as he came inside.

I smiled a little and shook my head as I closed the door.

"I know, by the way." Sam said, as I faced him.

"Know what?" I asked.

"Deeks told me and Kensi what you said to him today." He said. "I had my suspicions before, but once he said what you said to him, I knew for sure."

"….So….You know, then?" I asked.

"That you not only _know_ Emily, but she is also your FBI _friend_, and your _wife_?" Sam asked. "…..Yeah, I know."

"You didn't-" I began.

"Tell Deeks, Kensi, Nell, Eric, or Hetty?" He asked. "No. I didn't say anything. Though, knowing Hetty, she already knows your secret."

"I think she does." I said, honestly. "I'm pretty sure she's just waiting for me to _actually_ tell her, instead of saying anything to me"

"So? Where is she?" Sam asked, smiling. "I want to _officially_ meet Mrs. G. Callen."

"He knows?" I heard a voice ask.

Sam and I both looked toward the voice and saw Emily was now standing in the doorway.

Sam then looked at me expectingly.

"Emily, I want you to _officially_ meet my partner." I said. "Ex- Navy SEAL, Sam Hanna. Sam, this is my wife….Emily Taylor."

Emily smiled at Sam.

"It's so good to know that you know." Emily said to him.

Sam chuckled.

"I can only imagine." Sam said. "It's nice to officially meet you. G. never shuts up about you."

Emily laughed.

"Is that so?" Emily asked, as she looked at me.

"I…..MAY have told him a couple stories." I said.

"Yeah, try, a million." Sam said. "Times two."

Emily giggled.

"My wife, Michelle, would LOVE to meet you." Sam said. Then he looked at me. "By the way, she's _pissed_ that you kept her a secret."

"You _told_ her?!"I asked.

"I thought it would be ok." Sam said. "Plus, I'm _still_ pissed you didn't tell me."

"I would love to meet Michelle." Emily said, gaining Sam's attention.

Sam smiled at her.

"Great!" Sam said. "How about dinner at our house tomorrow?"

"That would be great." Emily said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go take my shower now….Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Emily." Sam said.

Then, Emily walked out of the living room toward the bathroom.

Sam then turned around to face me.

"Now," Sam began. "How are we going to do this?"

"Do what?" I asked. "Have dinner at your house? I think it's self explainatory."

"_Not_ that." He said. "The _other _thing."

I looked at him confused.

Sam looked behind him, then he walked over to me, and whispered:

"The plan to get the girl…You know, keep you and Emily together."

"I don't know." I said. "I TOLD you that."

"Well, dinner at my house is step one." Sam said. "So, what's step two?"

I thought for a moment, then I said:

"Have Emily spend time with Michelle, and have her get to know her. That way, Michelle can pick up on how Emily truly feels about me."

Sam thought about what I said, then he nodded.

"That sounds like step two." He said. "Plus, Emily won't pick up on Michelle reading her."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." I said. "She's known for picking up on things easily."

"Good thing Michelle's on our side then." Sam said.


	14. Chapter 14

(The Next Day)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Anybody think of anything yet?" Sam asked.

Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Emily and I were in the bull pen, thinking about what our next move in the case should be.

Emily was sitting in a chair by my desk, while the rest of us were sitting at our desk.

Nell and Eric were looking into Nick Houghes' whereabouts since he's been out of jail.

"I got nothing." Deeks said.

"Same here." Kensi said.

"What about you two?" Sam asked, looking at me and Emily.

"I haven't thought of anything." Emily said.

"Same here." I said.

"I found," I heard a voice say.

We all looked toward the voice and saw Hetty standing in the entrance to the bull pen.

"That if one doesn't think about something too hard, the answer they are looking for, will find them." Hetty said.

"So, you want us to _stop_ thinking about what our next step in solving this case is?" Kensi asked.

"Yes." Hetty said. "For now. There are other cases out there that need to be solved as well. We can't just focus on one."

_"We can't just focus on one." Emily said._

_I sighed._

_"And, why not?" I asked._

_"Because if you only focus on one color, you won't be able to appreciate or noticed what other colors you look good in." She said._

_"And I don't look good in this green, red striped, shirt?" I asked._

_"You do realize that green is VERY bright, right?" Emily asked._

_"What is wrong with this shirt?" I asked._

_"What's NOT wrong with that shirt?" She countered._

_"I have been dressing myself for years." I said._

_"It shows." Emily said._

_I glared at her._

_"You're not getting that shirt." She said. Then, she looked around. "Try this one."_

_Emily then picked up a sky blue button up shirt and showed it to me._

_I raised my eyebrow._

_"You'll look great." Emily said, smiling at me. "Trust me."_

_I walked over to her, took the shirt from her, and examined it._

_"Alright, I'll try it." I said, giving in. "But," I then looked at her with a smirk. "That means I get to pick something out for you."_

"Hetty's right." I said. "We can't just focus on one case."

"But what if someone _is_ after you?" Sam asked.

"Then they will come back." I said. "I'm sure of it."

"Now that is settled," Hetty began. "Go up to OPS. Mr. Beale and Miss Jones have another case for you. And Miss Taylor will be assisting."

"I will?" Emily asked.

"Yes." Hetty said, smiling at her. "If you don't mind, that is?"

"No." Emily said. "I don't mind."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"The victim's names are Harry and Valerie Newman." Eric said, as the pictures of Harry Newman and Valerie Newman showed up on the big screen in front of us in OPS. "They were married for ten years, and was actually going to be celebrating their tenth anniversary in a couple days, when they were murdered in their home last night."

"Do we know why?" Emily asked.

"As of yet, no." Nell said. "Harry Newman was a Lieutenant. Valerie was an employee at the Los Angeles Central Library."

"They have a son named Mark who lives in Kansas." Eric said.

"I also did a little digging and saw that they weren't the only ones murdered last night." Nell said.

Then, six more pictures showed up on the screen with Harry and Valerie Newman.

"Petty Officer Shane Jackson and his wife Claire Jackson." Nell said, as Eric pointed to the correct photos. "Corporal Kyle Madison and his wife Phoebe Madison, and Lieutenant Commander Jake Michaels and his wife Sophia Michaels."

"Why would someone want to kill them?" Kensi asked.

"That's what I thought." Eric said. "So, I looked to see if any of them knew each other. Turns out, Lieutenant Commander Jake Michaels knew Lieutenant Harry Newman, but other than that, no one else knew each other. So, just for kicks I looked to see what they all had in common. And turns out, they were all at a fundraiser last night for the Navy."

"So, what, they got murderer for giving back?" Deeks asked.

"They must be connected somehow." Emily said. "It's just too coincidental for them all to be killed in the same night…..Someone planned this."

"I agree." I said. "It's _too_ coincidental."

"Well, this is strange." Nell said suddenly, as she looked at her portable keyboard.

"What is it, Nell?" I asked.

"Well, as we know, Lieutenant Newman and his wife were going to be celebrating their ten year anniversary in a couple days." Nell began. "But if I'm reading this correctly, Lieutenant Commander Michaels and his wife celebrated _their_ ten year anniversary a couple months ago. And Corporal Madison and his wife, and Petty Officer Jackson and his wife celebrated their ten year anniversary two months _before_ Lieutenant Commander Michaels."

"So someone killed eight people because they hit or were _about_ to hit their ten year wedding anniversary?" I asked, in disbelief.

"People have killed because of stranger things." Deeks pointed out.

"It doesn't make sense." Kensi said. "Why would someone kill them because of their tenth anniversary mark?"

"Maybe they're trying to send a message." Sam said.

"That is possible." Hetty said. "Years ago, people would kill to symbolize an anniversary or, let someone know that they are on to them, among other things…They found it more _effective_ than kidnapping someone, cutting off their finger, and sending it to the person the warning is directed to."

"So, who's sending who a message?" Emily asked.

"That is a good question, Miss Taylor." Hetty said. "And we shall find out by going undercover at the charity auction in a couple hours."

"Yes!" Deeks said excitedly, as Kensi rolled her eyes. "Kensi and I are ready, Hetty! Just say the word, and we will be that married couple that we always are."

Then Deeks put his arm around Kensi's shoulders and smiled at Hetty.

Hetty smiled a little at him.

"No offense, Mr. Deeks, but as much as I enjoy you two being a married couple, you and Miss Blye don't look like you have been married for ten years." Hetty said. "However,"

Then Hetty looked at me, then at Emily, and back again with a small scheming smile on her face.

I suddenly knew what she was thinking.

I looked at Emily just in time to see her look at me.

I could tell she knew what Hetty was thinking too.

"No." Emily and I said at the same time, looking at Hetty as we did.

Hetty smiled more.

"You two look like you _have_ been married for ten years." Hetty said.

"Hetty," I said, warningly.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Mr. Callen." Hetty said, clearly challenging me. "And if I am, I will send in someone _else_ with Miss Taylor…..Maybe Mr. Deeks."

I stared at Hetty.

She obviously knew what I said to Deeks yesterday, and what prompted me to say it. Thus knowing I wouldn't agree, or _like_, having Deeks go undercover as Emily's husband. Despite me knowing he would have her back.

Plus, knowing she knew we were already married for almost ten years and having only her and Sam know it, let me know she _read_ the case before hand, and _planned_ for this to happen.

"It's settled, then." Hetty said, when I remained silent. "Now, if you all would follow me to wardrobe, I will give you your undercover clothes."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I walked out of the curtain and looked at myself in the full length mirror.

I was wearing something a Navy Lieutenant would wear.

"You're name is Jack Buckley." I heard Nell say. "You are a Lieutenant-"

"Wait," I said, as I looked at Nell. "_Jack Buckley_?"

"Hetty said to use that name." Nell said.

Jack Buckley was one of three alias' I used when I worked with Emily.

Jack Buckley happened to be the alias I used when Emily and I posed as a couple.

"Of course she did." I said.

Nell then handed me a pin that had 'Buckley' written on it.

I took it, and pinned it on in the right location.

"There is a camera on your name tag." I heard Nell say, as I straightened the pin. "And here is your ear wig."

I looked at her and took the ear wig from her.

"Thanks, Nell." I said giving her a smile, as I put my ear wig in.

Suddenly, I heard another curtain open.

I looked toward the noise and saw Emily walk out of it.

And I couldn't take my eyes off her.

She was wearing a Navy blue dress with matching Navy blue shoes and purse.

"Wow," I said in awe.

Emily looked up at me and smiled.

"Someone looks nice." Emily said, as she walked over to me.

"Yeah," I said, trying to find where my breath has gone. "….But you look beautiful."

Emily smiled and blushed as she looked down.

"….Um," I heard a nervous voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Nell.

I had completely forgotten she was there.

"Emily," Nell said looking at her. "You're alias is Claire Buckley. Here is a necklace." Nell then handed Emily a Sapphire necklace, which, Emily took from her. "It has a camera in the Sapphire. Also Hetty asked you to NOT let it out of your sight otherwise you will be paying for it."

Emily laughed a little.

"Ok." Emily said. "I won't lose it."

"And here is your ear wig." Nell said, handing her the ear wig.

"Thank you." Emily said, as she took the ear wig away from  
her.

Just then, I heard another curtain open.

I looked toward the curtain as Emily put her ear wig in to see Sam in a Lieutenant Commander uniform. Smiling.

"Sam," Nell said, as she walked away from us and headed over to him. "You're alias is going to be Lieutenant Commander Charles Keith."

"Callen?" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Emily looking at me.

"Do you mind?" She asked, holding up the Sapphire necklace.

"Of course." I said.

I then took the Sapphire necklace away from her, as she turned around.

"I wasn't lying, by the way." I said quietly to her, as I clasped the necklace around her neck. "You look beautiful."

Emily turned back around to face me, and I saw she was blushing.

"Well, I was lying." Emily said. "You don't look nice."

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You look handsome." She said, as she began to fix my collar.

I smiled at her.

"Do you really think I look handsome?" I asked her, as she withdrew her hands.

"Do you really think I look beautiful?" Emily countered.

I may not forgive Hetty for doing what she did.

But I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about being Emily's partner night.


	15. Chapter 15

(At the Charity Auction)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Callen and I walked into the room.

It was huge and filled with people along with tables and a bar counter.

Up front was a stage and a podium where they will be auctioning things off.

"Callen, Emily, your cameras are on….now." I heard Eric say in my ear piece.

"The auction doesn't start for a couple minutes." Callen said to me. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure." I said.

Callen and I then walked over to the bar counter and sat down on the stools. Me putting my purse on the counter as I did.

I looked around the room and saw Sam was working the room. Talking to people as he did.

I then saw Deeks in a waiters outfit standing by the long table of food.

And not too far away was Kensi, who was pretending to be a widow, and came here to support the charity because that would have been what her husband would want.

I only knew that because I heard her repeat that line to at least ten people before Callen and I entered.

"Ah, Lieutenant!" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw the bar tender was looking at Callen.

"What can I get you?" The bar tender asked.

"A scotch." Callen said.

"Make that two." I said.

The bar tender nodded, and placed two glass cups on the counter as Callen looked at me.

"You don't drink scotch." Callen said to me, as the bar tender poured the drinks, then walk away.

"No, I don't drink _whisky_." I said. "Remember?"

"…..Oh yeah." He said, as I picked up my glass.

Callen took his hat off and placed it on the table. Then he picked his glass up.

"A toast," Callen said.

"To what?" I asked.

"Ten years of marriage." He said. Then he smiled.

I laughed a little.

"Ok." I said. "A little early, but, ok."

Then, Callen and I clinked our glasses together and took a drink.

Callen then looked behind me as he sat his glass down.

"Nell, suspicious looking guy." Callen said. "I'm going to get a closer look."

Then Callen leaned toward me, and whispered in my ear:

"I can't wait to take you home tonight."

I felt myself blush like mad.

"Ok, Callen, got him." I heard Nell say. "Going to run him through facial rec."

"DUDE!" I heard Deeks say, as Callen went back to where he was. "Why did you _whisper_ that?!"

I heard Sam laugh, as a smirk appeared on Callen's face.

"Now you know how we feel." I heard Sam say.

"Hello, Lieutenant." I heard a voice say.

Callen and I looked toward the voice and saw a Commander looking at us.

"Commander," Callen said.

"I don't think we met." The Commander said. "I'm Commander Kevin Otter."

Then he held his hand out to Callen.

"Lieutenant Jack Buckley." Callen said, taking his hand and shaking it. "And this is my wife, Claire."

"Ma'am." Commander Otter said. Letting go of Callen's hand.

"Commander." I said.

"How long have you two been married?" Commander Otter asked.

"Almost ten years." I said, looking at Callen and smiled at him.

Callen smiled back at me, and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Well, I do hope you two enjoy the auction." Commander Otter said, as we looked back at him.

"I'm sure we will." Callen said.

"Have a good night." Commander Otter said.

"You too." Callen said.

Then, Commander Otter walked away.

"Eric," Callen began.

"Looking him up right now." I heard Eric say.

"Ok, does anyone else think that Callen and Emily look….._too_ comfortable together?" I heard Deeks ask. "I mean…they _actually_ look like a couple."

"Well, I think that's what Hetty was going for." I heard Kensi say.

"No, that's not what I mean." I heard Deeks say. "They look too comfortable in each other's presence."

"It's called acting, Deeks." I heard Sam say. Obviously trying to keep our secret, _secret_. "Look it up."

"It's just, if I _didn't_ know better, I would say they were _actually_ together." I heard Deeks say. "Or at least knew each other a long time."

"OH…" I heard Nell say, as if she just realized something.

"Miss Jones," I heard Hetty say. "May I have a word with you? I'm sure Mr. Beale can handle this for a couple minutes."

I looked at Callen and Callen looked at me with a look that basically said: "And now there's three."

"Deeks," I heard Sam say. "Just let it go."

Callen suddenly got a devious look on his face.

Then, Callen leaned in and kissed my cheek. His other hand going on my thigh as he did.

I smiled a little and blushed even more as Callen pulled away and looked at me. Leaving his hand on my thigh.

We're pretending, I reminded myself. Just pretending. It's not real.

"Oh, I totally see your point." I heard Kensi say.

"Thank you!" I heard Deeks say.

"You guys realize they can _hear_ you, right?" I heard Eric ask.

Then it was silent.

Callen and I began to laugh a little.

"What did you find, Eric?" Callen asked, keeping his eyes locked with mine.

"The suspicious looking guy that you found still hasn't got a hit yet." I heard Eric say. "As for Commander Otter, he checks out."

"Thanks, Eric." I said.

"So," Callen began, as he began to rub his thumb on my thigh.

"So, what?" I asked, keeping myself focused.

Callen then leaned into my ear, and whispered:

"Someone's watching us."

"Where?" I heard Sam ask.

"My three o' clock." Callen whispered.

"Got him." I heard Kensi say. "Eric,"

"Got him." I heard Eric say. "Running him through facial rec….Got a hit. His name is Dustin Annabel. Was a Lieutenant Junior Grade before he got kicked out due to drug problems."

"And get this," I heard Nell say. "He got caught by Lieutenant Commander Michaels."

"I think it's time to take a walk." I said, as Callen looked at me.

"You lead, I follow." Callen said.

We smiled at each other.

I grabbed my purse, while Callen grabbed his hat.

Then, taking Callen's hand, we stood up and I lead him out of the room, into an empty hallway.

"He's following." I heard Sam say.

"I got your back." I heard Kensi say.

Callen and I walked a fair distance away from the room, when Callen suddenly let go of my hand, grabbed my hips, and turned me around to face.

I giggled, as he smiled.

Callen then pushed me up against the wall.

"Do you know how hard it is to resist you, when you look the way you do?" Callen asked, softly.

We're pretending, I reminded myself. Just-

Then Callen began to kiss my neck. Making me forget what I was telling myself, as my breath caught in my throat.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I stopped myself from moaning.

"G-Jack." I said breathlessly, as I opened my eyes again. Trying to re-grasp the fact we weren't alone. And that it was all pretend. "We can't…We can't do this, here."

"Sure we can." I heard Callen say against my neck. "We're alone."

Callen then continued to kiss my neck, as his hand went up my dress and stopped at my gun that was strapped to my leg.

Then, Callen took my gun out of my holster, and turned to where we came from. Pointing the gun at a man who was walking toward us.

The man instantly stopped walking, as he raised a gun back at Callen.

"Put the gun down." Callen said to him, as Kensi suddenly showed up behind him.

"You heard the man." Kensi said.

A couple seconds went by, then the man dropped the gun and his hands up.

Kensi put her gun in her purse, took out handcuffs, and walked over to the man. Handcuffing him once she reached him.

Callen lowered my gun.

"You got him?" Callen asked.

"Yeah." Kensi said. "I'll take him to the boat shed."

"Ok." I said.

Then Kensi began to escort the man out.

Callen looked at me, and held my gun toward me.

"Here you go." Callen said. "Unless….you want me to put it back where I found it?"

_"Callen," I called out to him._

_"Yeah?" I heard Callen call back to me from the other room._

_"Where is the stapler?" I asked._

_"In here." I heard Callen say._

_I walked away from the drawer and headed into the living room._

_I saw Callen sitting on the couch reading a book, and the stapler sitting on the coffee table._

_"Why isn't the stapler back where it's suppose to be?" I asked, as I walked over to the coffee table, picked up the stapler, and looked at him._

_Callen glanced up at me._

_"Because I used it." Callen said._

_"Yeah." I said. "Yesterday. You used it yesterday."_

_"And?" He asked._

_"I gave you one rule when you asked if you could stay with me." I said. "Do you remember what that rule was?"_

_Callen thought about it for a moment, then he said:_

_"Always wash your hands and put the toilet seat down." _

_"Ok, there's that." I said. "But what was the _other_ rule I gave you?"_

_Callen began to think about it again._

_"Put things back where you got them." I said._

_Callen snapped his fingers._

_"That's it." He said._

_"So, the next time you take something, put it back where it was. Ok?" I said._

_"Ok." Callen said. _

I glared at him as I took my gun away from him.

Callen smirked.

I then put my gun back where it was.

"Always the leg strap." I heard Callen say.

"I know it's your favorite." I said smiling a little, as I looked back at him.

"Only because it's easy access." Callen said, smiling a little. "Though, I didn't think you were going to do that anymore, because of you losing your gun one time because of it?"

"That, was once." I said. "And that was because my leg strap was worn out a little bit and my new one didn't come in yet. Plus, I'm not the one who lost their _pants_."

"That, was _once_." He said, defensively.

"Try, twice." I said.

"How do you get twice?" Callen asked.

"The auction is about to start." I heard Hetty say in my ear piece suddenly, before I could respond.

"Why does it feel like I'm missing something here?" I heard Eric ask.

"You're not the only one." I heard Deeks say, sounding confused.

Callen then took my hand and we began to walk back toward the room where the charity auction was.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"He's not talking." Kensi said, as she walked toward us.

After the auction, Deeks, Sam, Emily, and I went to the boatshed.

After Kensi arrested the man, whose name was Dustin Annabel, there was no more problems at the charity auction.

"So we saw." Sam said.

"How are we suppose to get him to talk?" Emily asked.

"And be on time for dinner." I said, looking at Sam.

Then, an idea came to me.

I smiled.

"I know that smile." Sam said.

"Monica." I said.

Then, I looked at Emily.

"Wait, do you mean 'Monica', as in, the _stint_ your FBI friend did when the suspect _didn't_ speak?" I heard Deeks ask.

"That's her." I said.

"I'll do it." I heard Kensi say.

"No." I said. "Emily will do it."

Emily raised her eyebrow at me.

"You want Monica?" Emily asked in disbelief.

"Well," I began. "Kinda don't have a choice."

Emily stared at me for a moment, then she sighed and walked over to the interrogation room door.

I smiled in victory.

"How does she know about Monica?" Kensi asked, pulling my gaze away from Emily.

"Because she does." I said.

Then, we all looked toward the T.V. screen to see Emily enter the interrogation room, and walk inside.

Dustin Annabel looked at her, but said nothing.

Then, suddenly, Emily began to cry, sliding down onto the floor as she did.

Dustin Annabel watched her.

A couple seconds went by in silence, then Dustin asked:

"Are you ok?"

Emily looked up at him with tears rolling down her face.

And even though I knew it was all an act, I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms.

"Who-who are you?" Emily asked, sounding vulnerable.

"Dustin." Dustin said.

"Well, Dustin," Emily said. "I'm not ok."

Dustin looked toward the camera, then he looked back at Emily.

"A pretty lady like you?" Dustin asked. "Why wouldn't you be? Especially with the Lieutenant I saw you with earlier."

Emily shook her head as more tears came down her face.

"What did he do?" Dustin asked, anger in his voice.

"I…..I told him I loved him." Emily said. "…..But he's in love with someone else."

_I turned around to look at my bow tie in the mirror. _

_It looked perfect._

_I need her to teach me how to do that, I thought._

_I then turned back around, and looked at Emily. Giving her a crooked grin._

_"Thanks, Em." I said._

_"Now, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Emily asked. "Because if not, me and you can walk out of here right now without anyone knowing."_

_I chuckled._

_Then, I took her hands in mine._

_"I'm sure." I said, looking her in the eyes, so that she would know I was serious. "I want to do this. I love her."_

_Emily nodded._

_And when she did, she looked a little sad._

_I hated seeing her sad. Even if I didn't know the cause of it, like, right now._

_So, I smiled at her._

I put my hand over my mouth and kept it there.

Not connected, I thought. Just coincidence.

"He doesn't deserve you." Dustin said.

"I don't know about that." Emily said quietly.

Dustin suddenly got up from the chair he was sitting in, walked over to Emily and sat down beside her.

"You seem like a strong, independent, smart girl." Dustin said to her. "I bet you could get any guy you wanted."

"You really think that?" Emily asked him.

"I do." Dustin said, nodding. "So, why are you here, anyway?"

"I honestly don't know." Emily said to him. "Why are you here?"

"They think I killed eight people." Dustin said.

Emily's eyes went big.

"But I didn't!" Dustin said quickly. "I _swear_ I didn't."

"If you didn't kill them," Emily began, sounding afraid. "Then who did?"

"I don't know." Dustin said. "All I know is someone paid me to follow you and your Lieutenant."

"W-W-Why?" Emily asked.

"He wanted to me to tell you two that ten years mean something." Dustin said.

"Mean, what?" Emily asked.

A couple seconds went by, then suddenly, Emily hit Dustin in the neck, picked something up, and quickly stood up.

When Emily hit Dustin in the neck, Dustin immediately began coughing, and put his hands where she hit him.

I looked at Emily's hand and noticed she was now holding a knife.

"I suggest you think about what you do next." Emily said, anger in her voice. "Otherwise you won't have a voice box left."

Suddenly, the room from OPS showed up on the screen, showing Hetty, Nell, and Eric.

"Mr. Callen," Hetty began.

But she didn't need to say any more.

I quickly walked over to the interrogation room door, and opened it.

"Let's go." I said to Emily.

Emily took a deep breath and let it out.

Then, she walked by me and out of the room.

I closed the door, locking it once I did, and looked at Emily.

"You ok?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah." Emily said quietly.

Then, she headed toward the main room of the boatshed.

I followed her.

"I don't think I have to tell you that we have a problem." Hetty said, once Emily and I rejoined Deeks, Sam, and Kensi.

"Yeah," I said, as Emily sat the knife down on the table. "A big one."

"Dustin isn't the killer, but he was _paid_ to watch G. and Emily." Sam said.

"And he was told to _tell _them that 'ten years mean something'." Deeks said.

"But Dustin _doesn't_ know the name of the person, or what 'ten years mean something', is." Kensi said.

"Which would also suggest that the eight murders were a message to Callen and Emily." Eric said.

It was silent.

"Mr. Callen, Miss Taylor," Hetty began, breaking the silence. "Do you have any idea what Dustin Annabel is talking about?"

I looked at Emily and Emily looked at me.

I knew she was thinking what I was thinking.

And I also knew, neither one of us will say anything unless we were one hundred percent certain.

Emily looked away from me and said:

"I have no idea."

"Neither do I." I said, looking at Hetty once again.

"Why would someone go after Emily _and_ Callen?" Kensi asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"A lot of things don't make sense." Deeks pointed out to her.

"Go home." Hetty said. "And be safe. All of you…You can return the clothes after the weekend."

"What about Dustin Annabel?" Sam asked.

"He pulled a knife on a Federal Agent." Hetty said. "I will deal with him."


	16. Chapter 16

(Outside Sam's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I pulled up to Sam's house and parked in the driveway behind Sam's Challenger.

After Hetty sent us home, Emily and I went home to change into more comfortable clothes before going to Sam's house.

No one said anything when I 'offered' Emily a ride home.

And neither one of us have said anything to each other since we left the boatshed.

Even now, as I turned off the car, took my key out, and sat there in silence with her.

I knew she was thinking about what I was thinking about.

It was written on her face.

But she didn't say anything.

And neither did I.

As silence continued to consume us, I took Emily's hand in mine.

This caused Emily to look at me.

But still, neither one of us spoke.

Instead, a silent understanding about not talking about it unless it's _actually_ who it seems to be, went between us.

I offered her a small smile. Hoping to get one back.

And I did.

"Come on," I said softly to her, breaking the very long silence. "Let's get in there before Sam comes out here and drags us inside."

Emily laughed a little.

Then, I let go of her hand, and we both got out of the car.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Emily, I would like you to meet my wife, Michelle." Sam said, gesturing toward his wife, who was walking into the living room toward us. "Michelle, this is Emily. G.'s wife."

"It's nice to meet you." Michelle said smiling, once she reached Sam's side.

"It's nice to meet you, too." I said smiling back at her.

Michelle then looked at Callen.

"How dare you keep her a secret." Michelle said to him.

"I know, I'm sorry." Callen said to her. "Sam already chewed me out."

"Mmmhmmm," Michelle said. Then she looked at me. "Come with me, Emily. I want to know everything about you."

I laughed a little nervously.

"Ok." I said.

Then, Michelle and I headed toward the kitchen.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"So, I heard you work for NCIS, too." Michelle said, as she stirred some sauce in a pan on the stove.

"Yes." I said. "In D.C."

"Why so far away?" She asked.

"It was where I was assigned." I said.

"I see." Michelle said. "Do you miss LA at all?"

"Yeah." I said. "I do, sometimes."

Suddenly, laughter came from the living room.

Michelle smiled and shook her head.

"You know, I haven't seen Callen this happy since I met him." She said.

"Really?" I asked.

Michelle nodded.

"It's easy to tell he's quite smitten with you." Michelle said.

"He is?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes." She said. "Speaking of Callen," Michelle then stopped stirring the sauce, and looked at me. "What do your parents think of him?"

_I picked up the phone and called my parents number. Putting the phone to my ear as I did._

_The phone was answered on the second ring._

_"Hello?" I heard my mom say._

_"Hey, mom!" I said._

_"Emily, darling!" My mom said, happily. "How are you?"_

_"I'm good, how are you?" I said._

_"I'm good." She said. "Is there a reason why you're calling?"_

_"….Yeah." I said, uneasily, as I turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter._

_"Well, what is it, darling?" My mom asked._

_"I can't come home for the holidays this year." I said._

_"What? No." She said. "Why not?"_

_I looked into the living room and saw the sleeping Callen stretched out on my couch._

_"Because I have to work." I said._

"They, actually, haven't met." I said. "My parents live in Norway, so,"

"I get it." Michelle said. "But, have you told them about him?"

_"What do you mean you have to work for the holidays again this year?" My Dad asked._

_"Dad, I'm sorry, but I do." I said. _

_"And there's no way you can get out of it?" He asked._

_"No." I said._

_"Why not?" My Dad asked, clearly angry._

_I closed my eyes, and Callen's face appeared._

_"Because it's nonnegotiable." I said._

"Not exactly." I said.

Michelle was about to say something, when the timer on the oven went off.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen and I walked into Callen's house. Callen closing the door behind us, as I turned on the light.

"Dinner was good." I said.

"It was, wasn't it?" Callen said, smiling at me.

I smiled back at him.

"So," He began.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out of my pocket and checked to see who it was.

It was Shawn.

I looked at Callen.

"Go ahead." Callen said.

I let it ring one more time, then I answered it.

"Hey, Shawn!" I said, as I headed toward my bedroom.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I watched Emily walk away as she talked to Shawn on the phone.

Man I hate that guy.

I never met him. I don't know him personally.

But damn, do I HATE him.

I sighed, as sadness crept up on me.

I haven't lost her yet, I reminded myself. I can still try to change her mind.

I can still try to make her fall in love with me.

Just then, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out of my pocket and answered it.

"Callen," I said.

"G.," I heard Sam's voice say on the other side of the phone. "She _may_ have feelings for you."

"She _may_?" I asked.

"Michelle did her best to ask questions without Emily realizing what she was doing." He explained.

"And she came up with _may_?" I asked. "Not a 'yes, definitely' or 'no, definitely not'?"

"She was undercover for you." Sam said. "She did what you said, which was to findn out if Emily liked you without getting caught."

"That's true, she did." I said. "Tell her thank you."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"I'll call you tomorrow." Shawn said. "Love you."

"Love you, too." I said, the words suddenly feeling wrong to say to him.

Then, I heard Shawn hang up the phone.

I hung up my phone, and sighed.

_"BOMB!" I heard Vick yell._

_"Everybody out!" I heard Byrd yell._

_"Callen, come on." I said._

_Then, we both began to run toward the exit of the building._

_I ran out of the building and saw Vick and Byrd standing there._

_"Where's Callen?" Vick asked._

_I looked behind me and didn't see him._

_Then, the building exploded._

_Vick, Byrd, myself and others fell down onto the ground._

_I looked at the blazing destroyed building, as I stood up._

_Callen, I thought._

_"Callen!" I yelled. "Callen!"_

_I then took a couple steps toward the building._

_"Emily, no." I heard Vick say softly, followed by someone's hand on my shoulder._

_I shrugged it off._

_"CALLEN!"I yelled._

_When there was no response, or no figure walking toward us, tears came to my eyes._

_"CALLEN!" I yelled again. Hoping for a response or some sign of life._

_Instead, there was silence._

_I felt my heart break, as tears left my eyes and fell down my face._

_I looked away from the building as I tried to pull myself together._

_But how can you pull yourself together, when you just lost the man you're in love with?_

_Wait, did I just…._

_I did._

_Somewhere between the day we met, up until now, I fell in love with Callen._

_And I just realized it._

_And now, it's too late._

_"Look!" I heard someone say._

_I looked toward the burning building and saw a figure carrying another figure walking toward us._

_"It's Callen!" I heard Byrd say. _

_"Go help him!" I heard Vick order._

_People went rushing pass me toward the figure._

_Once they reach the figure, they took the figure the first figure was holding, and came back._

_As the people came back I noticed a little girl in their arms. Hurrying toward the ambulance._

_I looked at the other figure, and a rush of relief came crashing down on me._

_It really was Callen._

_I ran to Callen and hugged him tight._

_Callen hugged me back immediately._

_"Damn you, G." I said. "Don't you EVER do that to me again."_

I shook my head.

Then, I got up, headed toward my door, opened it, and left to go back to Callen. Closing the door behind me.


	17. Chapter 17

(The Next Morning)

(Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_I walked into the main room of our hotel room with my suitcase in hand, and saw Rachael, who was sitting in a chair, writing something in a notepad._

_"Hey," I said to her. "Ready to go?"_

_"Yeah." Rachael said, as she continued to write in her notepad._

_I sat my suitcase down beside her's and realized there was one missing._

_"Is Callen still packing?" I asked, not believing what I was asking._

_"No." She said. "He left, actually. He said he would be back before we left, though."_

_"Oh." I said. "Do you know where he went?"_

_"I asked, but he was crabby, so he didn't answer me." Rachael said._

_Oh boy, I thought._

_"I'm going to go find him." I said. "Be ready when we get back."_

_"Yep." She said._

_I then headed toward the apartment door, opened it, and left. Closing the door behind me._

I woke up, wiped the sleep out of my eyes and sat up. Opening my eyes and staring at the wall across from me as I did.

_I entered the bar and looked around._

_I figured if Callen was crabby, he would be in a bar drinking a beer._

_So far, I've been in three bars and there was no sign of him._

_As I looked around, I didn't see him._

_I was about to leave when I spotted him standing at the bar counter with a beer in his hand._

_I walked over to him._

_"Hey," I said, once I reached him, and leaned against the counter beside him._

_Callen continued to look straight ahead._

_"We have a flight to catch." I reminded him._

_"You know what today is?" Callen asked softly, still not looking at me._

_"Tuesday." I said._

_"Today is the day my divorce to Tracy is finalized." He said. "….I'm a free man."_

_Callen then took a drink of his beer._

_"Callen," I began._

_"You see this ring?" Callen asked, holding up a ring in front of me._

_I looked at it and quickly realized it was the silver butterfly ring._

_"I was going to give this to her." He said, looking at the ring. "On our anniversary this year….Looks like that's not gonna happen."_

_I felt bad that Callen was heartbroken and that his marriage failed. Which was ALL Tracy's doing._

_But I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little happy that he wasn't with her anymore._

_"I thought I would one day give my wife…..the love of my life, this ring." Callen said, still looking at the ring. "Instead, I get a divorce…..and Buddy gets taken away from me." Callen then laughed half-heartedly. "Maybe I AM truly destined to be alone."_

_"Callen, that's not true." I said, as he put the ring in his pocket. "All because it didn't work out with Tracy, doesn't mean it won't work out with someone else."_

_"You don't know that." He said, still not looking at me._

_"Yes, I do." I said. "There's someone out there for everyone…..You just haven't found yours yet."_

_Or realize its right in front of you, I mentally added._

_"You really think that?" Callen asked, finally looking at me._

_"Yes." I said. "I do."_

_Callen smiled half-heartedly at me._

_"Now, I want you to stop moping over Tracy." I said. "That includes drinking until you're drunk, like, what you're doing right now. She's not worth it."_

_Callen chuckled a little._

_"Alright." He said. "After this beer I will stop."_

_"Good boy." I said, giving him a soft smile._

_I then felt as if someone was watching us._

_I scanned the bar and saw four men sitting at a table watching us._

_I then remembered what happened last night, and what Midura said._

_"Callen," I said, keeping my eyes on them._

_"Emily, I told you," I heard Callen begin. "I promise this will be my last beer."_

_"Callen," I said again, feeling uneasy, as the four men stood up, and began to make their way over to us._

_"And I promise we will do whatever you want to do after we leave here." I heard Callen say. _

_"G.!" I snapped at him._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Callen look at me, then he looked at the four men who were making their way slowly toward us._

_I heard Callen set down his beer._

_Then, Callen grabbed my hand, and we bolted, as I heard crashes and screams behind us._

_Letting me know, the four men were running after us._

Ten years, I thought, as I stared at the wall.

It's was officially, ten years.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In Callen's Car)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I parked the car on the side of the road, turned it off, took the key out, and got out of the car.

I then headed toward the Store.

"G.!" I heard a voice say.

I turned and saw Sam walking toward me.

"Sam," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Michelle told me to pick up some things for the kids." Sam said once he reached me. "What are you doing here?"

"Coffee." I said.

"Why don't you just _buy_ a coffee maker?" He asked as we headed toward the stores entrance.

"Then I would have to _buy _coffee." I said. "And since I would have to _buy_ coffee, I would also have to _buy_ cups…..And I don't feel like buying coffee and cups."

Sam shook his head.

"Where's Emily?" Sam asked.

"Home. Sleeping." I said. "Gonna get her a coffee, too…And breakfast."

"Hold up," He said, as he stopped walking.

I stopped walking also.

"What's with that blue shirt?" Sam asked.

I looked down at the sky blue button up shirt I was wearing.

"What's wrong with the shirt?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said. "I just don't remember ever seeing you wear that shirt."

"That's because Emily picked it out for me and I _didn't_ want it to get ruined." I said. "So, I _normally_ wear it on days I _don't_ work and _won't_ get asked about it."

"Why are you wearing it today, then?" Sam asked.

"Because today is special." I said, smiling. "It's our ten year anniversary."

"Wedding anniversary?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Do you have plans?" Sam asked.

"I thought about doing what I wanted to do for our fifth anniversary." I said, knowing Sam knew the reason why we didn't celebrate our fifth anniversary.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Wine and dine her." I said, smiling a little.

"I see." Sam said, smiling a little. "Where are you taking her?"

"Don't know." I said, as we began to walk toward the store once again.

"And that's why you came to me." He said.

"Actually, you came to me." I said. "I didn't even know you were here until you called my name."

"I _meant_ with you being married to Emily, and wanting to keep her." Sam said.

"I only told you then, because-" I began.

"Forget it." He said, cutting me off.

"But-" I began again.

"Just forget it." Sam said. Cutting me off once again.

Then, Sam and I entered the store.


	18. Chapter 18

(At Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked Callen, as we pressed up against the wall. Hoping the four men who were running after us, weren't there anymore._

_"Yeah." Callen said. "I recognized one of them from last night that got away."_

_"I have to call Rachael." I said, taking my phone out with my free hand. "She needs to get out of here."_

_I then dialed Rachael's number, and put the phone to my ear._

_Two rings later, it was answered._

_"Carter," I heard Rachael say._

_"Rachael, it's Emily." I said. "Listen to me, get out of there. Get of there, now! Go straight to the airport and don't wait for me and Callen. Just get on a plane and go!"_

_"Why? Emily, what's happening?" Rachael asked._

_"Just do it! Ok?" I said. "I'll call you when I can."_

_I then hung up the phone, just as I heard a voice say: "Over there!"_

I walked into Callen's living room, and noticed he wasn't there either.

He must have gone somewhere, I thought.

I walked over to the chair, the only thing related to furniture in his house, and sat down.

I then picked up one of the books that was beside the chair.

_Speaking Russian_, the title said.

I smiled a little as I remember Callen teaching me how to speak Russian.

Gosh, that seemed like a decade ago.

But now that I think about it, it really was.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out and answered it.

"Taylor," I said.

"Hey, Emily." Said a voice from the other side of the phone.

I instantly knew who it was.

"Hey, McGee!" I said, smiling. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much." McGee said. "Slow day at work. Thought I would call you since Tony won't stop bugging me."

"Why is he bugging you now?" I asked.

"He was going to call you, but his phone got run over today after he dropped it." He said. "And he can't use his desk phone because it's currently not working."

"Tell him I'm fine and that he doesn't have to call me every five minutes." I said.

Every time I was out of town, on vacation, or somewhere that isn't close to Tony, Tony calls me or texts me often to make sure I was ok.

And this trip was no different.

It made me feel good knowing that someone cared about me.

But Tony calling and texting constantly whenever I was away, sometimes annoyed me.

However, Ziva got it ten times _worse_.

"I told him that." McGee said. "Ziva told him that. Even Gibbs told him that. But you know Tony. He's been whining all day about how he can't get another phone until tomorrow and how he hasn't talked to you yet."

"Tell Tony if I get kidnapped, he will be the first to know." I said.

"Alright." He said. I could hear the smile in his voice. "But I don't think he will appreciate you saying that."

"He never does." I said.

"Boss just came back, I'll talk to you later." McGee said.

"Talk to you later." I said.

Then I heard McGee hang up the phone.

I hung up my phone just at the front door opened.

I looked toward the door and saw Callen coming into the house with two coffee's, and a bag in his hands.

"Hey," I said to him, as he closed the door.

Callen looked at me and smiled.

"Hey," Callen said. Then he looked at my hand. "Practicing Russian?"

"No." I said.

Then, Callen walked over to me as I sat the book back down on the floor.

Callen then sat down on the floor. Setting the two coffee's and bag down on the floor beside him.

I got up from the chair and sat down beside him.

"What did you get?" I asked.

"I…..Nicely asked Michelle to cook us breakfast." He said, as he picked up one of the coffee's and handed it to me.

I took the coffee and looked at him confused.

"Sam showed up at the store." Callen explained. "And with every food I was about to grab, he asked how I was going to cook it with no cooking supplies."

I laughed.

"I don't know what you were _grabbing_, but the man has a point." I said. "What did Michelle cook for us?"

"Bacon, toast, egg." He said, grabbing the bag. "She even gave us plastic forks, plastic knifes, and thankfully, paper napkins."

I laughed a little, as Callen took the contents out of the bag and sat it down in front of us.

"That was really nice of her." I said.

"She wanted to do it." Callen said. "Who was I to say no?"

I then noticed Callen was wearing a sky blue button up shirt.

"Oh my god." I said, not believing what I was seeing.

"What?" He asked, looking at me.

"I can't believe you still have this shirt." I said, touching it.

"Yeah, well," Callen began. "A very special lady told me to expand on color, and gave me this shirt to try on….There's no way I could throw it away….Even if it _was_ all holes."

I blushed as I smiled a little at him.

"Happy tenth anniversary, Em." He said.

"Happy tenth anniversary, G." I said.

We stared at each other for a couple seconds, then Callen said:

"I hope you don't have any plans tonight."

"What if I do?" I asked.

"Break them." He said. "Cause you're _mine_ tonight."

"Is that so?" I asked.

"Yeah." Callen said. "I made plans for us."

"Well, I guess I can _try_ to get out of what I planned." I said. Then I smiled at him.

Callen smirked back at me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

_"Quick! In here!" Callen said, opening up a door._

_I quickly ran inside. Callen following me, not a moment too soon, and closed the door._

_Callen and I leaned up against the wall, and tried to catch our breath._

_"That was close." Callen said._

_"I have a feeling they're going to check in here eventually, though." I said._

_"We got to keep moving." He said._

_Then Callen took my hand and we began to walk to the other side of the building._

_"Ah! Gustav! Look what we have here!" I heard a voice say._

_Callen and I immediately stopped walking, looked toward the voice, and saw a Reverend and another man smiling at us._

_I looked around us and realized we were in a church._

_"They've come to get married!" the Reverend said, happily._

_"NO!" Callen and I said at the same time._

_"No we didn't." I said. "Trust me."_

_"Ah, but you have." The Reverend said. "God sends people here to get married. Why? We don't know. Only He does."_

_"Look…Reverend," Callen began. "We really didn't come here to get married. You see, there are people chasing us and we came in here to hide from them."_

_I nodded._

_"No." The Reverend said. "The Lord sent you here, to become one. That is the only reason why you, or anyone else, have come here. So, come on, don't be shy."_

_I looked at Callen at the same time he looked at me._

_"Reverend," I began, looking at him._

_"You cannot stay here, unless you get married." The Reverend said. "We would have to throw you out."_

_"You can't do that." Callen said._

_"He's speaking the truth." The man, whose name was Gustav, said. "You can't stay here unless you get married."_

_"We're passing through." I said._

_"All the same." Gustav said._

_"So, what's it going to be?" The Reverend asked._

_I looked at Callen, and Callen looked at me. Both of us knowing if we left right now, we would probably end up dead._

_"Looks like I'm getting married again." Callen said to me, in disbelief._

"What's with the picnic basket?" I asked, as I saw it sitting on the backseat of the car.

"Just get in." I heard Callen say, as he opened his door.

I opened the door to the passenger seat and got in the car. Closing the door shortly after.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, as Callen drove. "And, again, what's with the picnic basket?"

Once again, Callen didn't answer me. Instead, the smirk he had on his face grew more.

"I know you're not deaf." I said.

"Someone's being _quite_ impatient tonight." Callen said.

"Well, you said you had _plans_ for us," I began. "Then you said to leave what I've been wearing all day on, leave our phones at the house, and now you're driving us, who _knows_ where, with a picnic basket in the back seat. So, excuse me if I'm not a little curious as to what you have planned inside that mysterious head of yours."

"Well," He began. "Maybe if you _quit_ asking, and used what you said to me to _figure out_ what we're doing and where I'm taking you, you will know."

"Don't be smart with me." I said.

"Just stating a fact." Callen said, smiling.

_"Dearly, beloved," The Reverend began. "We are gathered here today-"_

_"Can you _possibly_ go _any_ faster?" Callen asked him. "We're _kinda_ in a hurry."_

_The Reverend looked at Callen in disbelief._

_"It's no offense to you, but, it's true." I said. "We are in a MAJOR hurry._

_The Reverend looked at me, then he looked at Gustav, who was being our witness._

_"Ok." The Reverend said, as he looked back at us and smiled. Then he skipped a couple pages in his book._

_I honestly couldn't believe this was happening right now._

_Yes, I was in love with Callen, but, I didn't want to get married _this_ way. Especially since Callen didn't feel the same way as I did._

_But Callen and I both knew we didn't have a choice._

_Unless we didn't want to live, that is._

_The Reverend cleared his throat, and asked:_

_"Vows?"_

_"Skip that." Callen and I said at the same time._

_The Reverend gave us a nod, and began flipping through his book again._

_Suddenly, we heard voice's outside the building, getting closer._

_"The rings?" The Reverend asked._

_Callen put his hand in his pocket as I put my hand in my pocket._

_There must be something ring related in here, I thought._

_I took my hand out and saw my father's Navy SEAL ring he gave me. Mostly because he had many._

_I looked at Callen just in time to see he took out the silver butterfly ring._

_"Now, repeat after me." The Reverend began. "I…..What is your name, dear?"_

_"Emily." I said._

_"I, Emily, give you-" the Reverend began once again._

_"G." Callen said._

_"I, Emily, give you, G., this ring as an enteral symbol of my love and commitment to you." The Reverend said._

_I stared at Callen for a moment._

_"Go on." The Reverend said._

_I took a deep breath and said:_

_"I, Emily, give you, G., this ring as an enteral symbol of my love and commitment to you." I said._

_I then put my father's Navy SEAL ring on Callen's ring finger of his left hand._

_And it fit perfectly._

_Callen noticed what the ring was and gave me a questionable look._

_"Now, G.," The Reverend began._

_"I, G., give you, Emily, this ring as an enteral symbol of my love and commitment to you." Callen said._

_Then, Callen put the silver butterfly ring on my ring finger of my left hand._

_And to my surprise, it fit perfectly._

_"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The Reverend said, happily, as I heard more voices. Closer than last time. "You may now kiss your bride."_

_Callen took my hands in his, and quickly pecked my lips._

_Then, as I blushed from the first form of a kiss Callen and I ever had, Callen and I quickly began to walk away._

_"Where are you going so fast?" I heard the Reverend call after us._

_"I told you," Callen called back to him, as we started to run. "We're in a hurry."_

Callen stopped the car on top of a cliff that over looked the city of Los Angeles.

We both got out of the car.

Then, as Callen opened the back seat to get the picnic basket, I walked over to the edge and looked down at the city and how pretty it looked.

"I can't believe you remembered this place." I said in awe.

"It's your favorite place in Los Angeles." I heard Callen say, followed by a car door shutting. "Why wouldn't I remember?"

I turned to face him to see he was walking up to me. The picnic basket and a blanket in hand.

"I only showed you this place once." I said.

"Sometimes that's all it takes." Callen said.

Then, Callen sat down the picnic basket, and unraveled the blanket. Laying it down flat on the ground in front of the car.

"We're having a picnic?" I asked, suddenly assumed and excited at the same time.

"Yes." He said.

Then Callen sat down on the blanket and patted the spot beside him for me to sit.

I smiled a little, walked over to him, and sat down on the blanket beside him.

"Remember how on our fifth anniversary I wanted to wine and dine you?" Callen asked, as he pulled the picnic basket over to him.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

Callen opened the picnic basket and took out a bottle of wine. Then he looked at me and smirked.

"This year I'm doing just that." He said. "Just picnic style."

I laughed.

"Ok." I said.

Callen then sat the wine down on the blanket, and began to take the other contents out of the picnic basket.

And I couldn't help but smile as he did so.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"I had a really great time tonight, G." I said, as we walked toward the house.

"I did, too." Callen said smiling at me. "It's been too long since I had that much fun."

I smiled at him.

Once we reached the door, Callen unlocked it, and we went inside. Callen closing the door behind us.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight." I said.

"I'll walk you to your room." He said.

Callen and I then walked to my room in silence.

Once we reached my bedroom door, I looked at him.

"Thanks again, G." I said, as I hugged him.

Callen hugged me back.

"No," I heard Callen say. "Thank you."

We stayed like that for a couple seconds, then we pulled away and looked at each other.

Me getting lost in his eyes.

Then, Callen leaned in, and kissed me gently and softly on the lips.

I was shocked, and didn't kiss him back.

Callen pulled away, and looked at me.

"Emily, I'm sorry." He said quickly, as I realized what happened. "I didn't-"

But I cut him off, by kissing him back.

Seconds went by without a response from him.

And I was beginning to wonder if I just made a mistake in kissing him back.

But when I was about to pulled away, Callen kissed me back.

The kiss started out slow, but it quickly picked up pace, as Callen pushed me against my door, a moan escaping me when he did.

This lasted at least a minute, until Callen licked my bottom lip eagerly.

I granted him access as I put my arms around his neck, and he immediately began to explore my mouth.

As we continued to kiss, I reached behind me and opened the door. Callen and I walking into the room without breaking the kiss, as I did.

I heard Callen kick the door shut, as we stumbled more into the room.

I then broke the kiss, both of us breathing heavily, as I sat down on the floor not breaking eye contact with him.

Callen moved to sit with me, and I grabbed his shirt and lied down, pulling him on top of me.

Callen then kissed me again, as his hands began to roam over my body.

He then left my lips and left a trail of hot kisses on my jaw to my neck.

As he was doing that, I unbuttoned his shirt and began to push it off his shoulders.

Callen pulled away from my neck and took his shirt off completely. Tossing it carelessly somewhere to the right.

I rolled us over so that I was on top of him, and rubbed my hands over his chest.

Callen gripped my hips as my fingers brushed over the bullet scars that prevented us from celebrating our fifth anniversary the way he wanted to.

I looked at the breathless Callen, and kissed him once again.

As Callen kissed me back, I grinded on him. Earning a low moan from him.

I left his lips and began to kiss his neck, as Callen began to push my shirt up.

I pulled away, and took my shirt off.

Callen took my shirt and threw it in the same direction he threw his shirt and pulled me into a heated kiss.

We kissed for a couple more seconds, then Callen went back to kissing my neck, this time sucking and biting it, as he turned us over so that he was on top of me again.

I felt like I was in heaven.

Then, Callen pulled away from my neck and began to kiss my stomach, including where my scar was from having my own bullets removed from the day I met him.

He then began to kiss his way back to my lips, but stopped when his lips met the silver butterfly ring that I was wearing around my neck.

Callen pulled away, and looked at the ring. Then, he picked it up, still looking at it.

I put my hand over his, and he looked at me.

As we stared at each other, I could tell he was surprised to see the ring.

But I also saw the emotion in his eyes I always saw when he looked at me. This time though, I knew what the name of the emotion was.

A couple seconds went by, then Callen kissed me once again. This kiss a lot more rougher and passionate than the previous ones.

I kissed him with as much force back.

Callen then went back to my neck.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, followed by it opening and a voice saying:

"Callen, hey-WHOA!"

Callen immediately stopped kissing my neck and looked toward the door, coving me with himself as he did.

I looked the opposite way.

"Deeks, what the HELL?!" Callen shouted, angrily.

"I-I'm sorry." I heard Deeks say, clearly uncomfortable. "I-I-I will…."

Then, I heard the door close.

"I'll be in the living room…...You just…..Yep." I heard Deeks say from outside the door.

Then, I heard footsteps. Signaling that he had left the door.

I felt my face heat up, as silence settle in the room.

"I'm going to see what he wants." I heard Callen say. "Then, after I kill him, I will be back."

Callen then kissed my cheek, got off me, stood up, and walked over to where our shirts were.

I sat up as Callen picked his shirt up and put it on.

Then, he walked over to the door as he buttoned up some buttons, opened the door, and left. Closing the door behind him.

Oh wow, I thought, as I realized what had happened, what was _about_ to happen, and what would have happened if we weren't interrupted.


	19. Chapter 19

(Callen's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I closed Emily's bedroom door, and finished buttoning up my shirt buttons.

I'm going to _kill_ him, I thought, bitterly and angrily.

I was finally getting somewhere with Emily, and Deeks came waltzing in and ruined it.

I will _never_ forgive him for this.

Once I was done buttoning up my shirt, I headed toward the living room while I thought of ways to kill the Detective once I saw him.

Seven of the several I came up with, _didn't_ involve moving.

Before I reached the living room, I heard an amused voice say:

"I told you _not_ to go find him."

I instantly recognized the voice as Sam's.

I then walked into the living room and saw Sam, Deeks, and Kensi were standing in my living room.

Kensi had a teasing smile on her face, while Sam smirked at me. Sam obviously knowing who Deeks caught me with just now.

Deeks, who I glared at as soon as I walked into the room, wasn't even looking at me. Instead, he was looking at the ceiling.

"So, uh," Kensi began, gaining my attention. "Who's your friend?"

I glared at her.

Deeks cleared his throat as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Callen," Deeks began, still clearly uncomfortable. "For the record, I'm sorry for walking in on you and your….._Lady_ friend."

As soon as Deeks said '_Lady_ friend', I knew he didn't know it was Emily I was with.

"But in my defense," Deeks continued. "You weren't answering your phone."

I looked at Sam.

"There better be a pretty _damn_ good reason why you're all here." I said, seriously.

"Eric and Nell want us at OPS." Sam said. "They sent a message to all of our phones. And when you didn't answer, we came by to make sure everything was alright."

"Which, apparently, everything was going _more_ than alright." Deeks commented.

I glared at him again.

"Emily also didn't respond." Kensi said. "So, we need to go to her place to make sure she's alright."

"I'm sure she's fine." I said. "In fact, I'm sure she's on her way. I'll call her when we leave….Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go get my phone. I'll meet you outside."

"You mean, we aren't going to _meet_ her?" Kensi asked, sounding a little disappointed. "Deeks did."

"Deeks did NOT meet her." Deeks said, looking at Kensi. "Deeks got an _eye full_ of what he doesn't EVER want to see again."

"Then maybe next time you won't open up closed doors in someone _else's_ house." I snapped at him.

"It's technically part of the job." Deeks said.

I stared at him angrily and moved a step closer to him.

"But at your house, it will NEVER happen again." Deeks said quickly, as he took a step back and put his hands up in front of him for protection.

Still pissed, yet, satisfied with his answer, I turned around and left the living room, as I heard Sam say:

"I told you to just _yell_ for him. That was ALL you had to do."

I walk into the kitchen and grabbed mine and Emily's cell phone off the kitchen counter. Then I headed toward her bedroom.

Once I reached her bedroom door, I opened it and walked inside, closing the door behind me.

When I walked in, I saw Emily was now standing up, and had her shirt back on.

"Hey," I said to her.

"Hey," Emily said.

"I'm sorry about what happened." I said, as I walked over to her.

"….You're sorry…about what happened?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said. "It shouldn't have happened. I should have known better."

Lock the door next time, I thought.

"….Oh." Emily said. "Ok."

"Anyway, Deeks, Sam, and Kensi are here to take me back to OPS." I said. "Eric and Nell sent messages to our phone and since we didn't answer-"

"I get it." She said.

I held her phone out to her.

"Deeks doesn't know it was you, by the way." I said, as she took her phone. "I'm going to ride with Sam. You can take my car."

Emily didn't say anything. She just stared at her phone.

"Hey," I said, softly.

Emily looked up at me.

I smiled at her.

Emily smiled back at me.

"I'll see you soon." I said.

Emily nodded.

Then, I kissed her cheek, turned around, walked back over to the door, opened it, and left. Closing the door behind me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"For the record, I told Deeks to just yell for you." Sam said, sounding amused.

Sam and I were in his car heading toward NCIS: OSP Headquarters.

"You'd think by now when it comes to you, he would listen to me." He said.

"It's Deeks." I said. "If he were a cat, he'd be _dead_ already."

"I thought he would have been dead as soon as you walked into the room." Sam said. "You looked pissed."

"I was thinking about it." I said. "But I don't think Kensi would have liked it. Plus, I don't need Hetty to tear me a new one because I killed our liaison."

"Not to mention, you would be in jail for murder." He said.

"Hetty and Kensi are _more_ scary than jail, Sam." I said. "But that's only if they were to _find _me."

Sam laughed.

"Ain't that the truth." Sam said. "So, from what Deeks said, tonight was going in your favor, huh?"

"It certainly was." I said honestly. "….Then _he_ ruined it."

Sam chuckled, as he pulled into the parking lot. Kensi's car following.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In Callen's Car)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"It shouldn't have happened. I should have known better."_

Those two sentences have been repeating in my head ever since Callen left.

_"It shouldn't have happened. I should have known better."_

I'm such an idiot, I thought, angry with myself. I can't believe I thought after all this time the guy I fell in love with would love me back.

It was fairytale, at best.

Something that would never happen to me.

And Shawn.

Oh my god, Shawn!

I basically just _cheated_ on him. Something I knew he would never do to me.

Shawn was nice, kind, sweet, caring…..pretty much a guy a girl would dream of having.

And I cheated on him.

I'm such a _horrible_ person, I thought, as tears came to my eyes.

I quickly blinked them away though, as I pulled into the NCIS parking lot.

I then pulled into Callen's parking space, parked the car and turned it off.

I then closed my eyes and tried to hold myself from falling apart.

Once I took at least ten deep breaths, and was sure that I had my emotions in check, I got out of the car, and headed toward the NCIS enterance.

Once I was in the building, I headed toward the bull pen.

"Miss Taylor," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty was standing on the top of the first set of stairs, looking at me.

And when I looked at her, her eyes instantly showed worry and concern.

"Everyone is waiting for you in OPS." Hetty said.

I nodded.

Then, I walked over to the stairs, went up them, passed Hetty, who I knew was studying me, and climbed the second set of stairs to the next floor.

When I entered OPS, I saw Eric, Nell, Deeks, Kensi, Sam, and Callen.

I avoided Deeks and Callen's gaze and looked toward the big screen. Crossing my arms across my chest as I did.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Nell look from Callen to me and back again.

"Ok!" Eric said. "Now that everyone is here, let's get to why you're here. I'm pretty sure you all remember Dustin Annabel."

"What about him?" Kensi asked.

"He was found two hours ago." Nell said.

Suddenly a picture of Dustin Annabel lying in bed showed up on the screen.

"He looks perfectly fine to me." Deeks said.

"He's dead." Eric said.

"What was cause of death?" Callen asked.

"LAPD is running test to see what the cause was." Nell said. "But so far, their ruling it as a natural cause."

"And this couldn't wait until morning, because…..?" Callen asked.

"Because the crime scene is still fresh, Mr. Callen." I heard a voice say.

I looked beside me and saw Hetty was standing next to me.

"I'll go to LAPD and see what I can get from them." Deeks said.

"While you do that, Kensi, Sam, Emily, and I will go to the crime scene and see what we can find." Callen said.

"No." I said.

Callen looked at me.

"I'm going to stay here with Eric and Nell." I said.

Deeks, Eric, and Kensi looked at each other surprised. Clearly not expecting me to tell Callen otherwise.

Then again, he was their team leader.

Not mine.

"Can I speak with you for a second?" Callen asked.

Then, Callen headed toward the door.

I followed him out of OPS and down the hall a little bit, until he turned to look at me.

Seconds went by in silence.

"Why don't you want to come?" Callen asked.

"Because I want to stay here with Eric and Nell." I said, calmly. "I may be able to help them."

Callen studied me for a moment, then he asked:

"What's the real reason?"

"That is the real reason." I lied.

"Emily, if this is about what happened," He began.

"I'm staying here with Nell and Eric." I said cutting him off and making sure he knew my decision was final.

I then walked away from him and headed toward the stairs.

"Emily!" I heard Callen call after me.

I ignored him and went down the stairs.

"I'm not asking you to come with us." I heard Callen say, sounding a bit angry, as I reached the bull pen. "I'm _telling_ you."

I turned around to face him.

"You can't tell me what to do, G. Callen." I said to him. "I'm not a part of _your_ team. I'm just the liaison from Washington for MY team."

"But you're working on THIS case." Callen said, closing a little bit of the distance between us. "Which I happen to be the LEAD on. Which means, you ARE a part of MY team. Which means, go outside, and get in the car."

Callen and I stared at each other as silence filled the air, along with something else. Neither one of us backing down.

"Is there a problem, here?" I heard a voice say.

I broke the staring contest with Callen and looked behind him.

Assistant Director Granger was looking at us, questionably.

"Nope." I said. "Everything's fine." I then looked at Callen. "See you when you get back."

I then walked by Callen, headed toward the stairs, and went back up to OPS.


	20. Chapter 20

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Is everything fine, Agent Callen?" I heard Granger ask.

"Yeah." I said, not looking at him. "Everything's _dandy_."

It was silent for a couple seconds, then I heard Granger's footsteps walk away.

What was that?

Why was Emily acting the way she did?

What happened between the ride over here and now?

"Sexual tension is a _bitch_, isn't it, Mr. Callen?" I heard a voice say.

I didn't have to look to know who it was.

Instead of answering, I bit the inside of my mouth, and took a deep breath. Letting it out shortly after.

"I'll talk to her." I heard Hetty say. "Sam and Kensi are waiting for you."

Without saying anything, or looking at Hetty, I headed toward the building's exit.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I stared at the computer screen in front of me.

This is turning into a disaster, I thought.

And it's all my fault.

I sighed.

I shouldn't have kissed him back, I thought. Despite how much I wanted to. I stopped myself in the past.

Why didn't I tonight?

"So," I heard someone say.

I looked beside me and saw Nell had sat down in the computer seat next to me.

"You, and, um…Callen." Nell said.

I sighed and put my head in my hands.

"Are you ok?" I heard Nell ask. "How bad was your and Callen's fight, exactly?"

"Not as bad as it could have been." I responded. I then lifted my head up and looked at her. "What can I do for you and Eric?"

"I would actually like a word with you, Miss Taylor." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty standing by me.

"Of course." I said.

Hetty then began to walk out of OPS.

I got up, and followed her.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At Dustin Annabel's house)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Are you ok?" Kensi asked me.

Kensi, Sam, and I were at Dustin Annabel's home.

In fact, LAPD just let us enter, when Kensi asked me that.

"I'm fine, Kensi." I said.

"It's just, you haven't really said _anything_ since you talked to Emily." Kensi said. "Which, why did you just let _her _decide what she wanted to do anyway?"

"Let it go, Kensi." Sam said.

"No, I want to know why he let her talk to him as if she's _higher_ above him." Kensi said.

"I didn't." I snapped at her. "And she didn't. Just let it go, Kens."

I then headed toward the stairs.

Hetty's right, I thought, Sexual tension IS a bitch.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I was sitting in a chair across from Hetty in her Office.

We have been sitting in silence for at least two minutes.

I knew she wanted to talk to me about something. And I was patiently waiting for her to speak.

Another minute goes by in silence.

"Years ago," Hetty began, drawing my attention. "There was this man I met in Russia. I was on vacation and we both had dinner and got to know each other, before going our separate ways.….The following day, I get a call from my Director that one of our own was kidnapped the night before. And when I was told what his name was, I realized I had met him last night without realizing it….Long story short, I rescued him, and we went back to America."

Hetty then stopped talking for a moment, before she continued:

"For years, we kept in touch. We even worked on a dozen or so cases together. And throughout that time….I've fallen in love with him." Hetty then looked at me. "Just like how you've fallen in love with Mr. Callen."

I looked away from Hetty and down at my hands in my lap.

"But I couldn't tell him." I heard Hetty say.

I looked up at her once again.

"He was already married." Hetty said. "And when he divorced, I still didn't tell him, because I was certain it would ruin our friendship and what we had…..And what we had, meant _everything_ to me."

I let what Hetty said sink in.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He was killed in the line of duty." She said. "He died protecting a little boy from being harmed."

"I'm sorry." I said.

Hetty gave me a nod.

"My point is, Miss Taylor," Hetty began. "Life goes by too fast. Don't wait to tell, or show, someone you love them…..You might be surprised of the outcome."

I thought about what Hetty said.

Then I remembered what Callen had said to me.

"Why don't you go talk to Mr. Deeks?" Hetty suggested. "He just went up to OPS."

I nodded.

Then, I stood up.

"Miss Taylor," I heard Hetty begin.

I looked at her.

"Do make up with Mr. Callen." She said.

"I will." I said.

Then, I turned around and left her Office to go back up to OPS.


	21. Chapter 21

(At Dustin Annabel's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"There was no force entry." Sam said, as he looked at the window in Dustin Annabel's room.

"So more than likely the murderer was someone he knew." I said, as I looked around the bedroom.

Then, I walked over to the night stand by the bed and opened the draw.

"Look what I found under the bed." I heard Kensi say.

I looked at her and saw she was holding up a needle.

"Someone must have injected him with something." Sam said, as I looked back at the night stand drawer.

"Yeah." I said, as I saw what was in the drawer. "And I think I know what it was."

I then picked up a bag filled with a white substance and showed it to them.

"Cocaine." Sam said.

I nodded.

"And since the police knows he used drugs in the past," Kensi began.

"Someone is trying to make it look like an overdose." I said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I walked into OPS and saw Nell, Eric, and Deeks.

"Oh, good, Emily, you're back." Nell said.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I was just telling Nell and Eric that LAPD found a large amount of cocaine in his system." Deeks said looking at me.

And when he did, I couldn't help but blush.

"Which means what exactly?" I asked.

"They think he overdosed by injection." Deeks said. "But they didn't find a needle on him."

"So someone is making Dustin Annabel's death look like a suicide." I heard a voice say.

Eric, Nell, Deeks, and I looked toward the voice and saw Assistant Director Granger had joined us.

"It's starting to appear that way, yes." Deeks said.

Assistant Director Granger looked from Deeks, to me.

"How are you, Agent Taylor?" Granger asked.

"I'm fine, sir." I said. "How are you?"

"Fine." Granger said. "What do we have so far?"

"I would love to tell you, but Deeks and I have to go." I said. "But I'm sure Nell and Eric will be able to tell you anything you need to know."

I then began to walk toward the door. Deeks following me a couple seconds later.

"I do hope we get to talk, Agent Taylor." I heard Granger say.

"Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But not right now. I'm busy." I said.

Then, I left OPS with Deeks right behind me.

"What was that about?" Deeks asked me, as we headed toward the stairs.

"It was nothing." I said.

"You and Granger have a past?" He asked.

"You could say that." I said, as we went down the stairs.

"You don't like him, do you?" Deeks asked. Then, when I didn't answer, he said: "That's ok. Not a lot of people do. Myself included."

Once we reached the main floor, I looked at Deeks.

"Is there anything we can do before Callen, Kensi, and Sam come back?" I asked.

"Well, I was going to tell Nell and Eric about Dustin Annabel's friend who apparently was seen two hours before he was found." Deeks said. "But then you came in, and when I was about to say it again, Granger came in."

"Ok, I'm in." I said. "Let's go."

"Seriously?" He asked, as I began to walk toward the exit.

Was I serious?

I mean, he DID catch me with Callen tonight and I keep blushing of embarrassment around him because of that fact.

"Yeah, come on." I said to him over my shoulder.

"Sweet!" I heard Deeks say, as I heard him run to catch up to me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"So, why were you willing to come with me, but not so willing to go with Callen?" Deeks asked.

We were in Deeks car, and he was driving toward our lead.

Well, his lead. He did find it.

And when he asked me that, I felt myself blush even more.

"Because I wanted to stay in OPS." I said.

"But if you wanted to stay in OPS, why did you come with me?" He asked.

_"Guess what?" Callen asked._

_"What?" I asked, as I put the remains of my dinner away in the refrigerator._

_"Hetty signed a LAPD liaison to our team." He said._

_"Really?" I asked. "Do tell."_

_"His name is Deeks, and he's a Detective." Callen said. "And I have to say, I was _doubtful _at first, but after today, he seems like a good addition to the team. Granted, he doesn't seem to take things too seriously, but when it comes to work he's good at what he does and definitely earned the title as a Detective."_

_"Sounds like you like him." I said._

_"Eh…" He said. "It's only been a couple days."_

"No one should go some place by themselves, Deeks." I said. "They should always have a partner."

"Touché." Deeks said. "But what was the real reason why you and Callen were at odds? Did you get in a fight before hand?"

"Deeks," I said. "Let it go."

"It's just I've never seen Callen react that way before." He said. "At least, not with another Agent who fought on his orders."

"Let it go." I said.

"And the atmosphere around you two when you entered OPS." Deeks continued. "It was strange. It was almost as if it was-"

"Deeks," I said, cutting him off. "There's no atmosphere. There's no nothing. I told you why I didn't want to go. Now drop it."

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Deeks said:

"Alright."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Deeks pulled the car over on the side of the road next to a house, parked, and turned off the car.

"Looks like no one's home." I said, as I looked at the drive way and saw no car. "Which is strange, since, it's night time."

"Maybe he's at a strip club or getting lucky somewhere." I heard Deeks comment.

I looked at him.

"Really?" I said. "Your mind goes there?"

"Well, he's a _bachelor_ who has been arrested for doing drugs _numerous_ of times." Deeks said. "Where do _you_ think he would go?"

I sighed and got out of the car.

"And to be fair," I heard Deeks begin, as he got out of the car and I closed my door. "People getting '_lucky_' seems to be a common trend tonight."

I felt my face get hot as he closed the car door.

"You don't WANT to know what I walked in on earlier tonight." I heard Deeks say, as he approached me.

"I'll take your word on that." I said, feeling uneasy. "Shall we take a look in the house?"

I then headed toward the house. Deeks following me.

Once we reached the door, I asked:

"Are you picking the lock or am I?"

Deeks turned on his flashlight and aimed it at the key hole.

"Kensi normally does these type of door knobs." Deeks said.

"Fine, I'll do it." I said.

Then, I took out my lock picking tools from my back pocket, and began to unlock the door knob.

As I was unlocking the door, I looked at Deeks and saw he was checking me out.

"Do you do that to Kensi too?" I asked, causing him to jump and look at me.

"What-what?" He asked. Clearly knowing he got caught.

I laughed in disbelief, as I went back to unlocking the door.

He so wouldn't be doing that if he knew, I thought.

I heard a click.

I then tried the door knob.

It was unlocked.

"Wow," Deeks said, as I put my picking lock tool away.

I then grabbed my flashlight, and went inside. Turning it on as I did.

Deeks followed me. Closing the door behind us.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" I asked him, as I looked around the living room.

"Anything that anyone can use to inject into someone." Deeks said.

"So a needle." I said.

"Yeah, pretty much." He said.

A couple seconds went by in silence.

Then, suddenly, we heard a crash.

Deeks and I immediately drew our guns and pointed them, along with our flashlights, toward the noise.

"What was that?" Deeks whispered.

"It sounded like a lamp." I whispered back.

Deeks cautiously walked toward the noise. I followed him.

After a couple of seconds, we heard another crash. This one louder. Letting us know we were getting closer.

Once Deeks and I reached the door, Deeks put his hand on the door knob and I stood in front of the door.

Deeks looked at me, and I gave him a nod.

Deeks then opened the door and we both pointed our guns inside.

And a not moment too soon, a cat ran out of the room.

Deeks and I let out a sigh in relief.

"Stupid cat." Deeks said.

I laughed a little.

"Come on, Shaggy." I said.

"Oh, come on!" I heard Deeks say, as we headed back to the living room. "Not YOU too! Seriously, what IS it about me that gives off the vibe that I'm Shaggy?"

"Mostly your hair." I said honestly.

"Ok, ok." Deeks said, as he got in front of me and began to walk backwards. "Let's try a different nickname shall we? Like, what about Hutch? Or Danno? Or Sergeant Getraer?"

"What's wrong with being called Shaggy?" I asked, amused.

"Nothing, it's just I seem to be _branded_ for life as Shaggy and not someone else that _isn't_ a cartoon." He said.

"You should be proud to be Shaggy." I said. "He's a lovable character, a part of a lovable show."

"Who says I'm not?" Deeks asked.

"You want a different nickname." I said.

"I just want to mix it up." He said, as we reached the doorway to the living room.

And when we did, I heard a click.

I looked in the living room, and saw a person aiming a machine gun at us.

I grabbed Deeks shirt and quickly pulled him out of the living room door way and behind the wall as I heard the machine gun go off. Deeks and I falling to the floor as we did.

Once the bullets stopped flying, I got up, aimed my gun at the intruder and fired. Just missing as the intruder fled toward the couch and hid behind it.

I waited a couple seconds, then the intruder stood up behind the couch about to shoot at me.

I quickly shot the intruder in the shoulder and the intruder went down. The machine gun falling on the couch.

I walked cautiously over to the intruder as I asked Deeks:

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I heard Deeks say, behind me. "Thanks."

Once I reached the couch, I went behind it and saw the intruder I shot lying down on the ground groaning in pain.

I aimed my gun and flashlight on the intruder. And saw it was a she, as she eyes squinting from the light.

And when I did, I recognized her.

"Book her, Danno." I said, keeping it to myself, and looking at Deeks.

Deeks looked at me and smiled.

"Alright, turn over." Deeks said, as he looked back at the intruder.

The woman obeyed, and Deeks bent down to hand cuff her, as I began to wonder and feel betrayed.

Oh Callen's not going to like this, I thought.


	22. Chapter 22

(Outside Dustin Annabel's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Sam, Kensi, and I just walked out of Dustin Annabel's house and were headed toward the Challenger, when my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out and looked to see who it was.

It was the OPS Center.

I answered it.

"Yeah, Eric?" I said.

"Callen, you, Kensi, and Sam need to get to the boatshed, now." I heard Eric say.

"Why?" I asked.

"Deeks and Emily have a suspect in the interrogation room, and Emily told me to get in touch with you as soon as possible but she wouldn't say why." Eric said.

"Why is Emily with Deeks?" I asked, gaining Kensi's and Sam's attention.

"Because there's a suspect at the boatshed." Eric said slowly, sounding a little confused.

I shook my head.

"Tell them we're on our way." I said.

"Oh, Callen," I heard Nell say, letting me know I was on speaker. "Emily also said to tell you _Sundown_."

"Sundown." I said, not believing what I heard. "…Are you _sure_ she said that?"

"Positive." Nell said.

"We'll be there in five." I said.

Then I hung up my phone and headed toward the Challenger.

"What did Eric say?" I heard Kensi ask.

"We need to get to the boatshed." I said, still walking to the Challenger. "Now."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At the Boatshed)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I was sitting in the interrogation room, with my arms across my chest, with our suspect.

And we were having a staring contest.

I brought her in here as soon as she got the medical attention she needed, and have been in here sitting in silence ever since.

Deeks was in the other room watching on the T.V. Screen.

I knew he was going to find out.

In fact, I knew that _everyone_ was going to find out that Callen and I knew each other now.

Not that we're _married_, because no one knew about that except for Hetty, Sam, and Nell.

But everyone was going to find out that I am the FBI Agent friend that he kept talking about.

"Emily, Callen, Sam, and Kensi are on their way." I heard Nell say in my ear piece.

I didn't move or say anything. I just continued to have the staring contest.

I was pissed.

Very pissed at who was sitting across from me.

Suddenly, she smiled.

"So," She began. "How are you, Emily?"

I stayed silent.

"What about Callen?" She asked. "How's he? Or, have you two lost touch over the years? I mean, it has been ten years, and all."

I stayed silent once again.

And now Deeks and Eric know, I thought.

"Who's your new partner?" She asked. "He's quite the cutie."

Once again, I stayed silent.

"Are you going to talk to me at _all_?" She asked. "I'm _trying _to catch up with you."

"You want to catch up?" I asked. "Fine. Where did you go after I told you to leave me and Callen behind? Huh? Tell me that."

Rachael just smiled.

"That's for me to know and for you to not know." Rachael said.

"You were my partner." I said. "We were partners for at least two or three years. I never heard _anything_ from you when I tried to call you once Callen and I got to the safe house. Why didn't you try to contact me back?"

Rachael was silent.

"How about you tell me why you were shooting at me and my partner tonight?" I asked.

"Sorry, can't do that." Rachael said. "At least…not until your _boy toy_ is here."

"You're going to be waiting a while." I said. "I don't have one."

"Oh, please." She said, clearly not believing me. "Like you and Callen _haven't_ hooked up."

"No." I said, as I remembered what happened earlier tonight.

"That's hard to believe." Rachael said. "With how _close_ you two were and all. Especially with how _comfortable_ you two were in each other's presence…By the way, have you talked to Tracy since they divorced? Apparently they worked on a case together a while back, and he _dismissed_ her _advances_…..I wonder why."

Then, Rachael smirked at me.

"I don't know why." I said shrugging.

"So, you and Callen are still in touch?" She asked.

"Maybe we are, maybe we aren't." I said. "Like you said….it's been ten years, and all."

Rachael studied me for a couple seconds.

"I bet you are." Rachael said. "A bond like what you two had _never_ goes away."

I was silent.

"What does he think of your partner?" She asked. "Is he more _accepting_ of this one than he was of me?"

"He had good reason." I said. "I should have _listened_ to him."

Rachael narrowed her eyes at me.

"He's not even here, and you STILL side with him." Rachael said. "…What are you, in love with him?"

"At one point you told me you were." I said.

"I was being _nice_." She said. "Big difference."

"Is it?" I asked.

Rachael glared at me. Then she said:

"Well there's one thing that _hasn't_ changed in ten years."

"What's that?" I asked.

"You being wrapped around his finger." She said. "And who knows? Maybe in _other _places as well."

When I remained silent, due to the fact I would have done something Hetty _wouldn't_ have approved of, she said:

"What? No comment? _There's_ a shocker. You never say anything bad about him. Even when he drove you crazy, you STILL never said _anything_ bad about Callen."

"Ever thought maybe I have nothing bad to say?" I asked her.

Rachael laughed.

"Good one." She said. "So, where is he? He IS coming, right?"

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Sam, Kensi, and I entered the boatshed.

And as soon as I did, I walked quickly to the main room where Deeks was, and looked at the T.V. Screen.

On the screen, showed Emily and Rachael in the interrogation room.

I sighed in anger and annoyance.

"How long have they been in there?" I asked Deeks.

Deeks looked at me, and I could tell Emily and Rachael _have_ been talking, because of the shocked look on his face.

"A couple minutes." Deeks said. "….Is Emily who I _think_ she is?"

"Not now, Deeks." I said.

I then began to walk to the interrogation room door. Passing a confused Kensi as I did.

Once I got to the door, I opened it and went inside. Closing the door behind me.


	23. Chapter 23

(At the Boatshed)

(In the Interrogation Room)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Once I closed the door, Rachael looked at me. A smile coming to her face.

"There he is." Rachael said. "I knew you would come. Wherever one of you are, the other soon follows. It _never_ fails. No matter the situation."

"Rachael," I said, as I walked over to the side of the table Emily was at. Grabbing a chair by the wall on my way, as I did. "I would say it's good to see you." I then sat my chair down beside Emily. "But I think we both know I would be lying."

I then sat down.

And when I did, Rachael looked from Emily to me and back again.

"Something _feels_ off." Rachael said. "Did you two have a lovers quarrel?"

"What if we did?" Emily asked. "Not like you would know what one was like."

Rachael glared at her.

"You mind filling in some blanks for us?" I asked.

Rachael looked at me.

"Like what?" Rachael asked.

"About whatever happened tonight that brought you here." I said.

"Oh, well, I shot at Emily and her partner." Rachael said. "I think that's self-explanatory."

I looked at Emily.

"Oh….Did you not know that?" I heard Rachael ask. "And here I thought you two told each other everything."

I looked back at Rachael.

"I would tread _lightly_, if I were you." I said.

"Oh, please, Callen." Rachael said. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be." I said, seriously.

"You know, I'm curious," Rachael began. "What do you think of her partner? Do you _hate_ him as much as you _hate_ me? Or do you actually _approve_ of him? Or….Are you _jealous_ he's with her?"

When I remained silent, Rachael smiled.

"Enough." Emily said, sounding quite annoyed. "Why were you at that house tonight?"

"Why were you at that house tonight?" Rachael asked.

"You had a machine gun on you." Emily said. "Something you said that you would never use because it just goes everywhere and is hard to handle. Why did you have one tonight?"

"So that I wouldn't miss." Rachael said, smiling.

"Miss who?" Emily asked.

"You." Rachael said.

That irked me.

I got up, grabbed Rachael, lifting her to her feet, and slammed her against the wall.

"Callen," I heard Emily say, as Rachael laughed.

"My, my, my," Rachael said. "Still have that _temper_ I see. No wonder you and Tracy got a divorce."

"Callen, let go of her." I heard Emily say, as I stared at her.

A couple seconds went by, then, I pulled Rachael away from the wall, and pushed her back in the chair.

"Rachael," I heard Emily say, gaining her attention, and mine.

And when I looked at Emily, I saw she was standing up also.

"Why were you aiming for me?" Emily asked.

"You should know the answer to that." Rachael said.

"Enlighten us." I said. The words coming out in a snarl.

"Ten years mean something." Rachael said.

I looked at Emily just in time to see her look at me.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Emily asked, looking back at her.

"You two already know the answer to that." Rachael said, coldly. "You just don't want to _admit_ it."

I looked back at Emily, and knew she was thinking the same thing I was.

"You know, I always knew you had a soft spot for her." Rachael said to me. "I just didn't realize how big it was…..But somehow, he knew."

My jaw clenched, as Emily headed toward the door.

"Aw, come on, Emily!" Rachael said to her.

But Emily ignored her, opened the door, and left.

I followed her out, and closed the door. Locking it soon after.

I looked at her to see she was looking at the door that led outside.

"I'm sorry." I said to her.

"You shouldn't be." Emily said. "You were right about her…She DID end up trying to kill me"

_"So, what do you think of my new partner?" Emily asked me, as soon as we walked outside the DEA Headquarters._

_"Honestly?" I asked. "I'm not too fond of her."_

_"What? Why not?" She asked._

_"She just rubs me the wrong way." I said. "I think you should consider getting another partner."_

_"Callen, all because you don't like her, doesn't mean she isn't a good person." Emily said. "Plus, you just met her. Give her a chance."_

_"All I'm saying," I began. "Is that, one day, if you told me she tried to kill you, I wouldn't be surprised."_

_"At least TRY to get along with her." She said._

_"Try, I will." I promised. "Whether it will actually happen or not, is another thing entirely."_

"And she tried to kill Deeks, too." She said. "And probably would have if I didn't see her and pulled him out of the way."

Emily then looked at me.

"I should have listened to you and got a different partner." Emily said.

"Everything will be alright." I said to her.

Emily looked down, and took a deep breath. Then she looked toward the main room of the boatshed.

"Shall we face the music?" She asked, looking at me.

"We could." I said. "Or we could walk out that door and prolong the inedible."

Emily smiled a little. Lighting up her face a little.

Then, Emily began to walk over to the main room of the boatshed where Deeks, Sam, and Kensi were waiting for us.

I followed her.

Once Emily and I reached Sam, Kensi, and Deeks, it was silent.

Then I began to say:

"I know you guys have a lot of questions and-"

"How the hell do you two know each other?" Kensi asked, sounding confused, yet, a bit angry at the same time.

"You know my FBI friend I talk about?" I asked.

Kensi nodded.

"That's me." Emily said.

It was silent for a moment, then, Deeks said:

"Man, on some level, I was REALLY hoping that wasn't true."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kensi asked me.

"It's complicated." I said.

"No it's not." Kensi said. "All you had to do was introduce her to us. Instead, you two acted as if you never saw each other in your entire life."

"We thought it would be best." Emily said.

Kensi was about to say something, but Deeks walked up beside her and said:

"At least we FINALLY get to meet the mysterious FBI friend of Callen's. I mean, I for one, thought he made you up."

I glared at him as Sam chuckled and Emily smiled.

"BUT regardless, I am happy to _officially_ meet you." Deeks continued. "Despite how I found out about your and Callen's friendship….Though, I have to say, a lot of things that have happened the past couple of days, including tonight, _totally_ make sense now."

"Deeks, is right." Kensi said, not sounding so angry anymore. "It is good to finally meet you, and the way you two have been interacting with each other _definitely_ makes sense now."

"Now that you all know," I heard a voice say.

We all looked toward the T.V. Screen and saw Hetty, Nell, and Eric on the screen in OPS.

"Why don't Mr. Callen, and Miss Taylor tell us about who Rachael is, and what she meant by them already knowing, but not admitting it?" Hetty suggested, as we all gathered around the T.V.

"You want to start?" I asked Emily. "Or should I?"

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"I'll start." I said. I took a deep breath. "The woman in the interrogation room, is ex-DEA Agent Rachael Vogal. She was one of my partners while I worked at the DEA. Callen, who was working for the CIA at the time, did three cases with us. On our last case together as partners, Callen and I were being chased, and I called her to tell her to leave me and Callen behind and to get out of where we were as fast as possible, and that I would call her when I could…..But when Callen and I got to the safe house, and I called her, she didn't answer. And Callen and I haven't seen or heard from her until tonight."

"When she tried to kill us." Deeks said.

I nodded.

"What was your last case together?" Sam asked.

"It was called 'Sundown'." Callen said. "It had to do with a millionaire arms dealer who stoled weapons from a couple military bases. We got wind of him going to sell the weapons soon to Iraq and we went to go stop him."

"His name was Vladimir Midura." I said. "And long story short, we got him just in time before he sold the weapons. Every single one of them was recovered and accounted for."

"He went to jail, and we went back to our hotel." Callen said.

"Ok. Then, if this Midura guy is after you now," Deeks began. "….Why is he?"

"Midura wasn't…._Alone_ when we…..arrested him." I began.

"As you know, most bad guys have an accomplice." Callen continued. "A partner."

"And Midura had a partner?" Kensi asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Her name was Margo Sheela. And not only was she his partner in crime, but she was also his wife."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Eric asked.

"We had Midura." Callen said. "We caught him before he reached his car. No one else was around but him and her. Back up was going to be there any minute. We already had a team to intercept the weapons. And we told them not to make it worse for themselves, and to turn around and put their hands up."

"Midura obeyed." I said. "But Sheela didn't."

"She stood her ground." Callen said. "Said she wasn't going to let it go down this way. That she will kill us if she had to."

"Then, Sheela took a gun out and aimed it at me." I said, quietly.

"And I took the shot." Callen said, quietly.

It was quiet for a moment or two, then I said:

"Midura went into hysterics. He cried over her body, and had to be pulled away by our back up when they arrived a minute later."

"And as I was handing him off to an officer, Midura said we will pay for this and that we will be dead. Even if it was the last thing he did." Callen said.

"Which is nothing you've never heard before." Sam commented.

"Unfortunately, yeah." Callen said.

"You said that you guys were chased." Nell said. "When did that happen?"

"The next day." Callen said. Then, he looked at me. "We were in a bar, when Emily noticed people looking at us."

"We ran and they ran after us." I said. "I called Rachael to tell her to leave, and we ended up in a church."

Callen and I then stared at each other. Me knowing he was remembering that day and what happened.

"And what exactly _happened_ in that church?" I heard Hetty ask.

I could hear the smile in her voice.

Callen and I smiled at each other and looked away.

"We passed through the church." Callen said to them. "And somehow after that we lost them."

"Callen and I both believe that happened because of Midura." I said. "And since I haven't heard or seen Rachael until tonight, and she was shooting at me and Deeks…..It's got me thinking she was a dirty cop and is possibly working for him."

"Which means he probably knows where you are." Kensi said.

"And that he's coming for the both of you." Sam said.

"Well, Callen DID stop him from making an arms deal AND killed his wife." Deeks said. "I'm sure he's not just going to let that go."

"Good thing Callen's not married." Eric said. "Otherwise, he would probably be going after his wife. You know, as an _'eye for an eye'_ type thing."

"Eric, don't you even _joke_ about that." Callen said, seriously.

"But you're NOT married, so, it's fine." Eric said.

"I agree." Sam said, sounding just as serious as Callen, as Callen stared at Eric. "Don't joke about it."

"…..Ok." Eric said, looking at anything but them.

"If Midura truly is going after Mr. Callen and Miss Taylor," Hetty began. "And if he happens to be in Los Angeles, I want the two of you to stay in the boatshed for tonight."

"Hetty," Callen and I began at the same time.

"Plus, someone has to keep an eye on Miss Vogal." Hetty said.

Callen and I both sighed.

"Fine." Callen said. "We'll stay and keep an eye on her."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

It was silent between me and Emily, as she was popping some popcorn in the microwave.

Deeks, Kensi, and Sam left the boatshed about five minutes ago, and wouldn't return until around nine in the morning.

Eric, Nell, and Hetty got off the T.V. Screen at the same time. Leaving me and Emily by ourselves.

Emily turned to face me.

"Callen," Emily began. "About earlier…."

"What about it?" I asked, leaning on the counter.

"Did you really mean what you said?" She asked. "That it shouldn't have happened?"

"That what shouldn't have happened?" I asked, confused.

"Us….kissing." Emily said.

"What? No." I said. "I'm actually _very_ glad that happened."

"You are?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said.

Emily suddenly looked relieved.

"Then why did you say that it shouldn't have happened?" Emily asked.

I looked at her confused.

Then, I realized what she was talking about.

"Oh." I said, chuckling a little. "I meant that Deeks interrupting us wouldn't happen again."

"Oh." She said, laughing a little herself. "Good."

Suddenly, the microwave dinged. Singling that the popcorn was done.

"Good?" I asked, a smirk coming to my face, as she got the popcorn out of the microwave. "Does that mean you want to do it again?"

Hope rose in me, as Emily began to blush, and took a sudden interest in the popcorn bag.

"…..Maybe." Emily said quietly. Then, she looked up at me. Biting her bottom lip.

Emily and I stared at each other.

Then, I closed the gap between us and kissed her. Wrapping my arms around her, bringing her closer to me, and squashing the popcorn bag in between us as I did.

I felt Emily laugh a little against my lips, and I couldn't but laugh myself.

I then pulled away and looked down at the now squashed popcorn.

"Sorry." I said, looking back at her.

"It's ok." Emily said. "I didn't want it anyway."

I smiled a little at her.

Emily got out of my embrace, and sat the popcorn bag down on the counter.

She then grabbed my hand and led me over to the couch.

Once we got to the couch, I sat down on it and pulled her to me.

She fell on me and laughed, as I smiled.

I then lied down on the couch, pulling her with me as I did.

Emily got comfortable lying on me, and sighed.

And in that moment, I felt complete.


	24. Chapter 24

(Morning)

(At The Boatshed)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up, but didn't open my eyes.

I didn't want to open them, and realize that what happened last night was just a dream.

So, I snuggled more into Callen's neck, and began to let myself fall back asleep. Feeling Callen's arms tighten around me as I did.

But when that happened, I heard an "Aw!"

Then I heard:

"Sh! Do you _want_ to wake them up?"

"But they look so _cute_ like that." I heard the first voice say, quietly.

I recognized the first voice as Nell's.

"Well, do you know what Callen would do if he caught us staring at them like this?" I heard the second voice ask quietly.

I then realized the second voice belonged to Eric.

"They're asleep." I heard Nell point out to him. "They're not gonna know."

"Doesn't mean they won't wake up." I heard Eric say. Sounding afraid.

"Eric, stop being so paranoid." I heard Nell say.

Eric and Nell went on like this for about a minute.

Then I heard Callen say:

"Will you two shut up? We're trying to sleep."

Then, I felt Callen move his head to look at them.

I opened my eyes, and saw Nell and Eric looking at us wide eyed.

"Sorry." Nell began. "It's just, Hetty ask us to check in on you guys."

"Of course she did." Callen and I said at the same time.

"But it's clear to tell you two are just fine." Eric said.

"We also brought breakfast for you guys." Nell said, gesturing toward the table in the middle of the room.

"Ok." I said. "Thanks."

Nell smiled a big smile, as Eric looked at us confused.

"What?" I heard Callen ask.

"It's just…You do know there's a _bed_ that one of you could have used, right?" Eric asked.

Nell elbowed Eric in the stomach.

"What's your point?" I heard Callen ask, as Eric rubbed the spot where Nell elbowed him, giving her a look.

"Nothing." Nell said. "He meant nothing by it. We'll see you two later. Come on, Eric."

Then, Nell grabbed Eric's arm and began to lead him out of the boatshed.

Once Nell and Eric were gone, I felt Callen move his hand up and down my back soothingly.

I moved to get up.

And when I did, Callen's arms kept me there.

I looked at him to see he was looking at me.

"Where you going?" Callen asked.

"To have breakfast." I answered.

"Forget breakfast." He said. "Stay here."

"But I'm-" I began.

But I was immediately cut off by Callen kissing me.

Callen then pulled away and looked at me.

"Ok." I said, a little dazed.

Callen chuckled a little, then he kiss me again.

I kissed him back.

Callen and I kissed for about a minute, when we heard car doors.

I pulled away from Callen.

"That's probably Sam, Kensi, and Deeks." I said.

Callen groaned, as I slipped out of his arms and got up.

"That's _twice_ now." Callen said.

I laughed a little as the door to the boatshed opened.

"Rise and shine sleepy heads!" Deeks called over to us, with a smile on his face, as him and Kensi walked into the main room of the boatshed.

"I hate you, Deeks." Callen said.

Kensi laughed, as Deeks stopped where he was. His smile fading.

"OK, I know what happened last night when we were at your house, but I _apologized_ for that." Deeks said, defensively.

"I see Nell and Eric came by." Kensi said, walking toward the table.

"Yeah, they left not too long ago." I said.

"Where's Sam?" Callen asked, as he sat up.

"Hetty wanted to talk to him, but he should be here shortly." Kensi said.

"I'm guessing Emily slept on the bed last night?" Deeks asked.

"What makes you think that?" Callen asked.

"You were lying down on the couch." Deeks said. "Kinda obvious."

Callen then got up, and headed toward the refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as Callen opened the refrigerator, took out a water bottle, and closed it.

"I'm going to go check on Rachael." Callen said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kensi asked. "You weren't too happy with her yesterday."

"I'm never happy when it comes to Rachael." Callen said. "I'll be fine."

Then, Callen headed toward the interrogation room, unlocked the door, opened it and went inside.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Finally!" Rachael said, as I closed the door. "One of you returned. Though, I have to say, I really wished it wasn't you."

"I'm just as thrilled as you are." I said, as I walked over to the table, and sat down the water bottle in front of her.

I then walked over by the wall and leaned up against it. Looking at her, and crossing my arms across my chest.

"You seem more chipper today." Rachael said. "…..Why?"

"Why don't you tell me what you have been up to for the past ten years?" I asked, ignoring her question.

"I don't have to say _anything_ to you." She said, bitterly.

"Fine." I said. "I'll just get whatever I want to know by myself. Won't be that hard."

"If you were going to do that, you would have done it already instead of coming in here." Rachael said. "I know your interrogation technique."

"In case you've forgotten, it's been ten years." I said. "My interrogation technique is not what it used to be."

"So you got worse at it?" She asked.

"Are you working for Midura?" I asked, ignoring her once again. "And if so, have you always been working for him?"

"Is there a reason why you're in here instead of Emily?" Rachael asked.

"You should just answer my questions." I said. "Either way, I'm going to find out."

Rachael smiled.

"Let me know when you find out then." She said. "I can't _wait_ to see your face."

I stared at her for a couple seconds, then I headed toward the door, opened it, and left. Closing the door behind me.

I walked back into the main room of the boatshed.

"So?" Deeks asked, once I rejoined him, Kensi, and Emily.

"So, I'm calling Nell." I said. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

"I agree." Emily said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(A couple Hours Later)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Emily?" I heard a voice say. "Emily…...Emily!"_

_I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Tony, who was sitting across from me at his desk._

_Tony and I were waiting at the NCIS Headquarters for Gibbs and McGee to get back from their trip to Los Angeles, where they worked with the Office of Special Projects branch of NCIS on a case that started here but traveled to there._

_Abby was with us, too. But she went to go get something she forgot to put on McGee's desk, which was decorated from the floor to the ceiling with a bunch of welcome home stuff already, and said she would be back in a second._

_"Are you ok?" Tony asked, looking a bit concerned._

_"Yeah," I said, shaking my head a little. "I'm sorry. What were you saying, Tony?"_

_"I asked what you were thinking about." He said._

_"Oh." I said. "It's nothing."_

_I know I said it was nothing, but it _definitely _was something._

_Callen hadn't called me today._

_Callen _always_ called when he said he would, if he could._

_And he promised me that he would be able to call today, and talk for a bit when he got home._

_It was seven o'clock his time. He's normally out of work by now._

_But still, there was no call._

_And I was worried._

Nell, Eric, and Hetty popped up on the T.V. Screen in front of us. Showing they were in OPS.

Deeks, Kensi, Sam, Callen, and I were in the boatshed, sitting around the table, when Nell announced their presence.

Sam had joined us not too long after Callen had called Nell to look up everything there was on Rachael.

"What you got, Nell?" Callen asked.

"It turns out Rachael Vogal isn't her real name." Nell began.

"What is it then?" I asked.

"Hazel Robins." Eric said.

"Like, Hazel _nut_?" Deeks asked. "Well, that makes sense."

"She was born to Michael and Gloria Robins." Eric continued. "She is from Denver, Colorado. Graduated at the top of her class. And, she doesn't have a criminal record."

"However," Hetty began. "Miss Jones found something that you will find, _explains_ why she is also going after Mr. Callen and Miss Taylor."

We all looked at Nell.

"I found out that her godparents were Midura and Sheela." Nell said. "But they were only her godparents."

"So her parents were friends with them." Callen said.

"And she obviously thought of them as an aunt and uncle." Kensi said.

"Which means she was working for them the whole time." I said, quietly.

"There was no way you could have known, Miss Taylor." Hetty said, assuringly.

"What about her whereabouts for the past ten years?" Sam asked.

"She flew from England to Mexico a lot." Eric said. "And recently had flown from England to Washington D.C., to Los Angeles."

"More than likely she was visiting Midura." Callen said.

"We actually got camera footage from when she was in D.C." Eric said. "It shows her talking to a guy. We don't know who he is yet. In fact it seems like he knew where the cameras were and hid his face well."

"Try to find him, Eric." I said.

"Oh, I'm trying." Eric replied. "I'm just not having any luck."

"Nell, run a search on her phone and see what numbers she called often." Callen said. "That may help Eric."

Nell gave a nod, and went to work on her portable keyboard in her hand.

Suddenly, Rachael's cell phone list of calls popped up on the screen. Showing two numbers she called more than once.

"The first number, belongs to a burnt phone." Nell said.

"Which is more than likely Midura." Sam said.

"What about the second number?" Kensi asked.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Nell said:

"A cell phone in Washington."

"Who does it belong to?" Deeks asked.

"That's none of your business, Detective." A voice said.

We all looked toward the voice and saw Assistant Director Granger was standing at the entrance to the main room of the boatshed.

"Owen," Hetty said, warningly.

But he ignored her and stared at me.

"We need to have a little chat." Granger said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Callen stand up.

"Not _you_, Agent Callen." Granger said, still looking at me.

Callen looked at me as I continued to stare at Assistant Director Granger.

A couple seconds went by in silence, then I stood up, and headed toward the interrogation room that was unoccupied.

Assistant Director Granger followed.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I watched Emily and Assistant Director Granger walk over to the unoccupied interrogation room, and walk inside. Closing the door behind them.

"Eric," I said, turning back to the T.V. Screen.

"On it." Eric said.

Not two seconds later, the interrogation room Emily and Assistant Director Granger were in showed up on the screen.

They were standing on opposite sides of the table.

"What-" Emily began.

But she stopped talking when Granger put up his pointer finger to silence her.

Then, Granger walked over to the camera, and unplugged it. The screen going static once he did.

"At least we still-" Eric began. Then, he said: "Never mind."

"Hetty, what the hell is Granger doing?" I asked.

"Oh buggar." Hetty said.

"Hetty," I said.

Hetty was silent for a moment, then she said:

"The other phone number on Miss Vogal's cell phone log that has been called more than once, is Miss Taylor's cell phone."

I let what Hetty said sink in, then I said:

"No way. That's not possible."

"I know it's not, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "But her phone number is the second most frequent number Miss Vogal has dialed. And I can't stop the Assistant Director talking to her."

"She's obviously being _framed_!" I said, outraged.

"G.," Sam began, softly.

"Hetty, you _can't_ let him do _anything_ to her." I said. "She hasn't done _anything_ wrong."

"I'll try my best, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "I promise. But with her phone number in Miss Vogal's phone, it's enough damning evidence Granger needs."

"What if she _isn't_ being framed?" Deeks asked.

I glared at him.

"What do you mean, _isn't_?" I asked, angrily.

"Callen, it's been _years_ since you two saw each other." Deeks said. "Let alone talk to each other. People can change."

"It hasn't been as long as you think." I said. "And Emily _hasn't _changed. She's still the woman I-"

I then stopped myself, as I became aware of what I was about to say.

Unfortunately, Kensi and Deeks seemed to have caught on that I stopped myself from saying something. Even if it was brief.

"She's still the same woman I met at the FBI." I said. "She didn't just turn criminal overnight. Especially without me noticing. And I believe her when she said she _hasn't_ heard from Rachael until yesterday."

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Hetty said:

"I agree with Mr. Callen. Someone is setting Miss Taylor up."

"But who?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know." I said. "But they better pray I don't find them."


	25. Chapter 25

(At the Boatshed)

(In the other Interrogation Room)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Once Granger unplugged the camera in the interrogation room, and stepped on the listening device that was underneath the table, he said:

"You may now speak."

"What do you want to talk about that couldn't wait?" I asked.

Granger was silent for a moment, then he said:

"Agent Taylor, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, because Director Vance seems to think highly of you and Hetty seems to like you very much despite the short amount of time you've been here. So, I'm going to give you one chance to explain to me, why your phone number was saved in ex-DEA Agent Rachael Vogal's cell phone."

"…I don't have an answer for that." I said honestly.

"Have you been in contact with her at all?" Granger asked.

"I haven't heard or seen from Rachael until yesterday." I said.

"Then how can you explain the consistent phone calls between her phone and yours?" He asked.

"I can't." I said.

"Are you protecting someone?" Granger asked.

"I'm not protecting anyone." I said.

Granger studied me for a couple seconds, then he asked:

"Do you know where Shawn was last week?"

"How do you know about Shawn?" I asked, confused.

"Just answer the question, Agent Taylor." Granger said.

"I'm not answering _anything_, until you tell me why you're here." I said, seriously.

Granger stared at me for a couple seconds, then he sighed.

"Very well." Granger said. "Shawn is a rogue CIA Agent. He has been for two years. His real name isn't even Shawn. It's Adam."

"What?" I said, not believing what I was being told.

"It's the truth, Agent Taylor." He said.

"No." I said shaking my head. "No. Shawn…Shawn's not a CIA Agent. Or a _rogue_ one at that. I would know."

"Does he know you're a NCIS Agent?" Granger asked. "Or does he still believe you're an _accountant_?"

"What are you trying to say, Assistant Director?" I asked.

"I'm saying that your _fiancé_ isn't who he says he is, Special Agent Taylor." He said. "You met him two weeks after he went rogue. Which was when his alias Shawn Lucas came into play."

"You've been _watching_ me?" I asked.

"I was watching everyone he came into contact with." Granger said. "Including, and _especially_, you."

I looked at Granger in disbelief and shock.

"You had no idea, did you?" He asked.

"No." I said, shaking my head. "I didn't."

Suddenly, there was a look of sympathy in his eyes.

"His real name is Adam Morgan." Granger said. "He's been in the CIA for six years until two years ago when he went rogue after a mission went weary with his partner ending up dead, and the money they were suppose to recover, missing. Before I left the CIA I took an interest in his case and tried to find him. I found him through a paper trail of the stolen money that led me to Washington. And when I did, it wasn't long until he met you."

"If you knew where he was, why didn't you apprehend him?" I asked.

"Because after he met you, I saw him with Rachael Vogal." He said.

"…You've got to be kidding me." I said.

"Unfortunately, I'm not." Granger said. "For the past two years, I've seen Adam with Rachael. And sometimes, she _literally_ showed up at the place you two were after you left."

"So, there's a possibility that he knows I'm _actually_ an NCIS Agent?" I asked.

"There's not a possibility." He said. "He knows. I've seen him follow you to a crime scene at least twice."

"Why didn't you TELL me?!" I asked, outraged.

"I didn't know if you were partners with him." Granger said. "I had to make sure."

"Well, now you know." I said, angrily. "And now it might be too late. Are you _happy _now?"

"Agent Taylor," He said. "There's obviously a reason why he hasn't made a move on you."

I studied Granger.

"There's another reason why you're here, isn't there?" I asked. "There's a reason why you're telling me this."

"I talked to Hetty and Director Vance, and they both have agreed for you to come back to Washington, and figure out what Adam Morgan is up to." Granger said. "You're the only one who would be able to find out."

I shook my head.

"No." I said. "If you know where he is, you go get him."

"It's not so easy, Agent Taylor." He said. "We need to know what he was doing with Rachael Vogal. And you're already close to him."

"But you said he knows I'm an NCIS Agent." I pointed out to him.

"And I also said there's a reason why he hasn't killed you." Granger said. "And as long as that reason is still in play, you should be safe."

I looked down and closed my eyes.

"I will be going back with you." I heard Granger say. "And while Agent Callen's team works the case from this end and getting whatever they can from Rachael Vogal, you will be doing your part in Washington, by finding out what you can from Adam without giving anything away."

"Who says I agreed to this?" I asked, looking up at him.

"You don't have a choice." Granger said. "And you can't tell Agent Callen or his team what you're doing."

I was about to say something, when Granger said:

"I mean it, Agent Taylor. I know you and Agent Callen go a way back, but for the sake and success of this case, you can't tell him anything. That's an order. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Sir." I said, sternly.

"Good." He said. "Now go pack your things. We leave in one hour."

I began to walk to the door.

"Agent Taylor," I heard Granger say.

I stopped walking.

"I am sorry about this." I heard Granger say.

"I would say it's not your fault." I said. "But this time, _clearly_, it is."

I then walked to the door, opened it, and left the interrogation room.

Once I entered the main room of the boatshed, everyone was staring at me.

"Emily," I heard Callen say, as I headed toward the boatshed entrance.

I unwillingly ignored him, and left the boatshed.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was going to go after Emily, when I heard Granger say:

"Don't even think about it, Agent Callen."

I looked at Granger to see he was walking toward me.

"What did you say to her?" I asked.

"I'm afraid that's none of you're concern." Granger said.

"Owen, I don't _approve_ of you doing this." Hetty said.

"I had to, Henrietta." Granger said, looking at the T.V. Screen at her. "Director Vance wants us back as soon as possible."

"I don't care what you think she did," I began angrily. Gaining Granger's attention again. "She DIDN'T do it. And I'll _prove_ it if I have to."

"Stand down, Agent Callen." Granger said. "You're stepping onto territory you have no business being on, let alone know what's _happening_. I suggest you let it go, and focus on your case concerning Rachael Vogal." Then, Granger looked at Hetty. "I'll call you when we land, Hetty."

Then, Granger walked toward the door, and left the boatshed.

"Hetty," I began looking at her.

"There's nothing I can do to stop her from leaving, Mr. Callen." Hetty said, sounding sad. "But if you go now, you may be able to catch her."

"Sam," I began, looking at him.

"I'll give you a ride." Sam said, as he stood up.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I can't believe this, I thought, as I put my clothes in my bag. I can't believe everything with Shawn was more than likely a lie.

I shook my head.

Adam. His real name was _Adam_.

And even though it may have been a lie, I wasn't lying when I had told him I loved him.

But now, with everything that's happened with Callen…..Even if I don't know what is happening between us, and if Callen doesn't feel the same way back…I had to end it with Shawn.

Not because Shawn isn't who I thought he was. Which he wasn't.

But because the only guy I want is the one I'm married to.

Not the one I'm _engaged_ to.

And being with someone you know you could never be truly happy with, will just hurt the other person in the end.

As I was finishing packing up, I felt eyes on me, and knew who it was.

"You're leaving?" I heard Callen ask.

I zipped up my bag, and stood up. Putting my bag over my shoulder as I did.

"I think you know the answer to that." I said, as I turned around to face him.

And I really wished I hadn't.

It was hard enough leaving him behind as it was.

Seeing how sad he looked, despite him clearly trying to hide it, killed me.

"I will make this right." Callen said. "I will get the person who's framing you."

"Callen," I began.

"I don't care what it takes." He said, walking over to me. "I know whatever Granger thinks you did, you didn't do. And I _will_ clear your name."

"Callen, I'm not being arrested." I said. "I just have to go back to Washington."

"Why?" Callen asked.

_"I mean it, Agent Taylor."_ I heard Granger say in my head. _"I know you and Agent Callen go a way back, but for the sake and success of this case, you can't tell him anything. That's an order. Do you understand?"_

"Director Vance just wants to talk to me face to face." I said.

Callen nodded slowly.

"Ok." He said.

I smiled at him.

"I'm not in trouble." I said. "I promise."

Callen smiled back at me.

"Ok." Callen said.

I then hugged him.

"I promise I will be back." I said, as he hugged me tightly back.

"I'll be waiting." I heard Callen say.

Then we pulled away, and headed toward the front door.

Once we reached the front door, Callen pulled me to him, and kissed me softly.

I kissed him back and pulled away.

"Call me?" Callen asked.

"Of course." I said nodding.

Then, I opened the front door, and left the house. Callen following me.


	26. Chapter 26

(Los Angeles)

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_"But I don't _want _you to go." I said, as Emily began packing her last suitcase._

_"Callen, this is a great job opportunity for me." Emily said. _

_"But D.C. is on the East Coast." I said._

_"Know geography, I see." She said, teasingly._

_"Emily, come on." I said. _

_"G., come on." Emily said, looking at me. "I didn't put in an application to become an NCIS Agent if I didn't want to become one."_

_"Yeah, but, if you get the job in D.C., you won't be here anymore." I said._

_Emily dropped the shirt she had in her hand on her suitcase, and walked over to me._

_"Callen," Emily said, putting her hands on my shoulders. "If I do get the job, and if I do move to the East Coast, it's not going to change anything between us. We can still call each other, and visit each other."_

_"Yeah, but, you're not going to be five minutes away anymore." I said, feeling even sadder._

_The person I am very convinced is love of my life, was leaving and will probably be gone permanently._

_And I wasn't really taking it as well as I told her I was._

_"Aw, G." She said, as she hugged._

_I hugged her back. Hoping somehow, she would never let go._

On our way to the boatshed, it was silent in the Challenger.

Once we got to the boatshed, it was still silent between us, as I opened the door to the boatshed and went inside. Sam following me.

"Hey, what happened?" Kensi asked us, as her and Deeks met us at the entrance to the main room of the boatshed.

I walked passed them, and walked over to the couch.

"Sam?" I heard Kensi ask.

"She's gone." I heard Sam say.

"Did he at least catch her?" I heard Deeks ask.

"Yeah." I heard Sam say, as I sat down on the couch, and began to stare at the floor.

"Is she going back to be questioned?" I heard Deeks ask. "Was she arrested?"

"No." I said, speaking for the first time since I left my house. Then I looked at them and saw they were looking at me. "Emily didn't get arrested."

"Then, why is she going to Washington?" Kensi asked, as her, Deeks, and Sam walked closer to me.

"She said Director Vance needed to talk to her face to face." I said.

"Do you believe her?" Sam asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah." I said. "But I don't think she told me everything. It felt like she held something back."

"Do you know what it could be?" Kensi asked.

I shook my head.

"Is she coming back?" Deeks asked.

"She said she will." I said. "And I have no reason to believe otherwise."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Washington D.C.)

(At the Reagan National Airport)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"When we land, and when you see Adam, act the way you normally do." I heard Granger say to me.

"I know." I said.

Assistant Director Granger and I were in a plane about to touch down at the airport.

It was silent between us for most to the trip. Me looking outside the window throughout the flight.

Before we entered the plane, Granger had me call Shawn to let him know I was coming home, and ask him to pick me up at the airport.

Of course, he said yes.

"I know you do, Agent Taylor." I heard Granger say. "I just don't want you to forget."

"How can I when you keep repeating yourself every _five minutes_?" I snapped, as I looked at him.

"Tone, Agent Taylor." Granger warned.

"I don't really care." I said. "You could have apprehended him and Rachael who knows HOW many times, but you _didn't_. Instead, Rachael _almost_ killed me and Deeks, and I find out I'm engaged to a rogue CIA Agent who killed his _partner_. So, excuse me, if I'm not '_little miss sunshine_' at the moment."

I then looked back out the window.

"I know this is difficult for you right now." I heard Granger begin.

"Have you ever been engaged to someone who you thought you knew just to be told they are the exact _opposite_ of who you thought they were?" I asked looking at him.

"No." Granger said.

"Have you had to go to said person and try to get information out of that person _without_ getting found out, then have to _arrest_ that person?" I asked.

"Not exactly." He said.

"Then you have _no idea _how difficult this is for me." I said.

It was silent then, as I looked back out the window.

"Hm." I heard Granger say.

"What?" I asked, looking at him again.

"I can see why Hetty likes you so much." Granger said. "Though, it makes me wonder how you and Agent Callen ever got along working together."

"We trust each other." I said. "We always have each other's back. And we have a bond not a lot of people have."

Granger looked at me with questions in his eyes.

"Agent Taylor," He began. "I'm going to ask you a question. I'm only going to ask you this once, and I want you to answer it honestly, while keeping in mind I _will_ know if you're lying or not…..Were you and Agent Callen ever romantically involved?"

"No." I said.

"And now?" Granger asked.

_I pulled away, and took my shirt off._

_Callen took my shirt and threw it in the same direction he threw his shirt and pulled me into a heated kiss._

_We kissed for a couple more seconds, then Callen went back to kissing my neck, this time sucking and biting it, as he turned us over so that he was on top of me again._

"No." I said.

Granger studied me.

But I kept the mask I learned to have to keep others out of my thoughts, especially when it came to Callen finding out how I felt about him, in place.

"Just out of curiosity, Assistant Director," I said. "Why did you ask me that?"

"Because I know Agent Callen's history with dating his female partners." Granger said. "As I'm sure you're aware of, Agent Taylor, there's been a few. Including his ex-wife."

"And you wanted to know if I was one of them." I said.

Granger nodded.

"But now I see you're not." He said.

Just then, the pilot came on the speaker, letting us know we will be landing shortly.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Once Granger and I got off the plane, and headed toward the terminal, Granger stopped me, and said:

"Meet me tomorrow in Director Vance's Office at the NCIS building for a more thorough briefing. Good night, and good luck, Agent Taylor."

Then, Granger began to walk toward the airport.

I took my phone out, and called Callen.

It rang until his voicemail came on, followed by the beep.

"Hey, G., it's me." I said. "I just called to tell you I landed…Anyway, I guess I'll talk to you later."

Then, I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket.

I took a deep breath, and headed toward the airport.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At the Boatshed)

(In the Interrogation Room)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Seriously, where is Emily?" Rachael asked me for about the fiftieth time since I have been in here.

"She stepped out." I said. Repeating the answer I have been saying to her every time she asked. "You're stuck with me."

It's been an hour since I decided to come back in here and question Rachael.

Sam, Kensi, and Deeks thought that I should let them try to get information out of her, but I knew Rachael enough to know that she wouldn't say anything to a stranger.

"But I don't WANT to talk to you." She said. "I want to talk to her."

"And I want my own private island." I said. "But not everybody gets what they want."

Before I came in here, I made sure to leave my gun on the table in the main room along with my phone.

For her protection. Not mine.

And to further protect her, I was standing behind the table across from her, with my arms across my chest. Just like the last time I was in here.

"If this is you being _protective_ over her," Rachael began.

"I told you." I said to her. "Emily stepped out."

"Then where did she go?" She asked.

I shrugged.

"I think we already established we don't _really_ tell each other everything." I said.

"Are you two still fighting?" Rachael asked in a playful tone.

"Look," I said. "Just answer my questions."

"How about I _don't_ and wait for Emily to come back." She said, smirking at me.

"How about you _do_, and I _may_ try to get you in a prison where you are able to _actually_ see the sun come up." I said, smirking right back at her.

"You know, don't you?" Rachael asked.

"Know what?" I asked. "That you're a _dirty_ cop? Midura and Sheela are like an _uncle_ and _aunt_ to you and that's why you're going after me and Emily? That you _killed_ about ten people? Eight of them married couples."

"For the record, I _didn't_ kill ten people." She said, seeming unusually calm. "I only killed three. Brad Nichols, Nick Houghes, and Dustin Annabel. It would have been five or six if I did kill Emily and her partner along with Dylan Bash, which you know didn't happen. But that wasn't what I was referring to."

Solves the Brad Nichols mystery, I thought.

"Do you know who killed the other eight people?" I asked.

"We both know who did, Callen." Rachael said. "Just accept it, along with the fact that before you know it, you and Emily won't be breathing anymore for killing Margo."

"I'll be the judge of that." I said.

"Back to what I was referring to now." She said, smugly. "How to you like knowing that Emily has been talking to me for the past _two years_ without telling you?"

I was silent.

"Come on, Callen." Rachael said in a playful tone. "I know you saw my phone log."

"Who framed her?" I asked.

Rachael smiled a devious smile.

"No one framed her." She asked. "I told you. She's been talking to me for the past two years."

"You're lying." I said.

"Am I?" Rachael asked. "Are you sure Emily, the only person you let yourself open up to, isn't lying to you? I mean, she already withhold telling you about me shooting at her. That must make you wonder what else she's keeping from you."

I knew what she was trying to do.

It wasn't going to work.

"Who. Framed. Her?" I asked. Saying the words slowly enough for her to comprehend the question I was asking.

"I told you." She said. "I called her phone. Her phone called mine."

"But you didn't talk to her." I said. "So who were you talking to?"

"You're 'suppose' to be _smart_, Callen." Rachael said. "So why don't you do your job, and figure it out. I can't just _give_ you all the answers."

I stared at her for a couple seconds.

Then, I walked over to the door, opened it, and left. Closing and locking the door behind me.

I then walked into the main room of the boatshed where Kensi, Deeks, and Sam were watching the whole thing on the T.V. screen.

"The more she talks, the more I see how much of a _joy_ she was to work with." Deeks said.

"What you're seeing, isn't even the _half _of it." I said, reaching the table. "When it comes to me, anyway. She _did_ like Emily."

"So who do you think is setting her up?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." I said. "And she's not going to tell me."

"Well, it's obviously someone she knows." Kensi said, as I picked up my phone. "Is it possible that it's also someone Emily knows, too?"

I looked at my phone and saw a missed call and a voicemail.

"It's a possibility." I said, as I checked the missed call.

Seeing Emily's name as the missed call, made me sigh.

"What?" I heard Sam asked.

"I missed Emily's call." I said, clicking to my voicemail, and putting my phone to my ear.

A couple seconds went by then, I heard Emily's voice say:

"Hey, G., it's me. I just called to tell you I landed…Anyway, I guess I'll talk to you later."

Then, I heard her hang up.

I sighed again and hung up my phone.

"What did she say?" I heard Kensi asked.

"Just that she landed, and that she will talk to me later." I said, looking at her. "I would call her back, but it's late where she is."

"Geez, you act like she's in London." Deeks said.

She might as well be, I thought, as Sam glared at him.

"What?" Deeks asked Sam.

"Maybe you would feel the same way if Kensi left." Sam said.

"How would I feel the same way if Kensi left?" Deeks asked, confused.

"I'm just saying." Sam said. "Don't talk."

Deeks looked more confused.

"…O…..K?" Kensi said, slowly. Then, she looked at me. "Deeks and I will stay here to keep an eye on Rachael."

"Thanks, Kens." I said. "Sam and I will be here tomorrow at nine."

"What do you mean, _don't talk_?" Deeks asked Sam. "Are you saying I'm _insensitive_ to other people?"

"No." Sam said. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then what are you saying?" Deeks asked.

"Deeks, let it go." Kensi said.

"I'm just saying you don't know the whole story." Sam said. "That's all."

"The _whole _story?" Deeks asked. "You're saying there's _more_ than Callen and Emily meeting at the FBI and working a couple cases together?"

"Deeks, let it go." I said, quickly. "Sam, come on. I'm sure Michelle's worried about you."

"No, I want to know the answer to that." Kensi said, looking at me. "_Is_ there more to it than you two meeting at the FBI and working a couple cases together?"

A moment or two went by, as I tried to think of a way to not answer that question.

Then I heard a voice say:

"Mr. Callen,"

I turned around and saw Hetty had joined us in the boatshed.

"I thought you and Mr. Hanna went home already?" Hetty asked.

"We were just leaving." I said, feeling relieved as I realized she was helping me.

"Then maybe you should go now." Hetty said.

I nodded.

Then I began to head toward the exit. Sam following right behind me.


	27. Chapter 27

(The Next Morning)

(Washington D.C.)

(At Emily's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock going off.

I opened my eyes, and saw that it was six thirty in the morning.

I hit the snooze button.

"Morning." I heard a voice say, as I felt arms go around me.

I jumped, and turned to see who was in bed with me.

It was Shawn. Who was looking at me amused.

"You ok?" Shawn asked, chuckling a little.

"Yeah." I said, as my heart began to go back to its normal rate. "I'm ok."

Shawn pulled me closer to him, then he began to kiss my neck.

"Shawn, no." I said, softly, feeling uncomfortable as I pushed him away gently.

Shawn looked at me.

"Why not?" He asked.

Where to begin, I thought.

"I'm just not in the mood." I said, as I moved away from him and sat up.

"You weren't in the mood last night, either." I heard Shawn say, as I heard him sit up. "What's wrong?"

I miss Callen, I thought. And you can't replace him.

"Nothing." I said, assuring him, as I looked at him. "I'm just not in the mood, that's all."

Shawn studied me for a moment or two, then he smiled a little and nodded.

"Ok." He said. "I'm going to take a shower." Then, he got out of bed. "Would you like to join me?"

I shook my head.

"Alright." Shawn said as he headed toward the bathroom. "If you change your mind….."

"I more than likely won't." I said.

"But if you do," He said, as he stopped walking and looked at me with a grin. "You know where I'll be."

Then, Shawn entered the bathroom, and closed the door.

I quickly got out of bed, and changed out of my pajamas and into regular clothes. Then, I went over to the night stand on Shawn's side of the bed, picked up his phone and looked through it.

And when I did, I saw text messages, phone calls, and a contact saved as Rachael.

_"Hey, Babe," I heard Shawn say._

_"Yeah?" I asked, as I continued to chop carrots._

_"Is it ok if I use your phone?" I heard Shawn ask. "Mine just died, I can't find my charger, and I promised my mom I would call her."_

_"Yeah, of course." I said._

_I put the knife down, took my phone out of my pocket and handed it to him. Giving him a smile as I did._

_"Thanks." Shawn said, smiling back at me._

_Then, he pecked me on the lips, and headed toward the living room._

_I suddenly remembered who would be calling me soon._

_"Hey, Shawn," I called after him._

_Shawn stopped walking and looked at me._

_"If an unknown number comes through, just ignore it." I said._

_"Alright." He said._

_Then, Shawn walked into the living room._

I sat Shawn's phone back down on night stand.

Then, I left the bedroom to go get my bag, to get everything I needed for work.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

The elevator doors opened. Revealing the floor I have been going to for years.

I walked out of the elevator, and began to head toward the stairs that led to Director Vance's Office.

"Well, look who's back!" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Tony, with a smile on his face, was walking over to me.

I smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm back." I said. "But I don't know for how long."

Tony stopped a couple steps short of reaching me. His smile fading as a confused look came upon his face.

"What do you mean you don't know for how long?" Tony asked.

"It's complicated, Tony." I said. "If you excuse me, I need to talk to the Director."

I then went around him and headed toward the stairs.

But before I could go up them, Tony got in front of me. Blocking me from going up the stairs.

"Tony, let her by." I heard Ziva say.

"No." Tony said, as he continued to look at me. "Why is it complicated? You weren't really gone to see a 'friend', were you? Why did you really leave? Was it your boyfriend that I _haven't_ met yet? Did he do something? Or was it McGeek over there?"

"Hey!" I heard McGee say, as I looked behind Tony.

"Well?" Tony asked. "Aren't you going to answer me?"

"I don't think what you asked is _any_ of your business, Agent DiNozzo." Said the person I saw behind him.

Tony looked behind him and saw who I saw come up behind him.

It was Assistant Director Granger.

"Assistant Director," Tony said, a little surprised.

"Do you mind letting Agent Taylor through?" Granger asked.

"No, no. Not at all." Tony said, shaking his head slightly.

Tony then got out of my way.

I then walked by Tony, and began to go up the steps to Director Vance's Office. Assistant Director Granger soon followed after giving what seemed to be a warning look at Tony.

Once I reached Director Vance's Office, I was about to knock on the door, when Granger said:

"He's expecting us. Just open the door."

Alright, I thought, as I opened the door.

I then walked inside, Granger following and closed the door behind us.

"Agent Taylor," Director Vance said, gaining my attention, as I walked over to him.

"Director," I said.

"I'm sorry your vacation was cut short." Vance said.

"It's alright." I said.

"Please, have a seat." Vance said, gesturing toward the chairs across from where he was sitting at his desk.

I walked over to a chair, sat my bag down, and sat down. Granger sat down in the other chair.

"As I'm sure Assistant Director Granger has already informed you, your fiancé Shawn, isn't who he says he is." Vance said.

I nodded.

Then, Director Vance opened a folder that was on his desk.

"His real name is Adam Morgan, and he has been in contact with ex-DEA Agent Rachael Vogal on more than one occasion." Vance said, reading from what was in the folder. "Even before he met you, and has been caught on surveillance cameras with his head turned away to make it hard for anyone to pinpoint that it's him." Vance then looked at me. "But thanks to one of our psychologist, who is an expert in a lot of things, including body language, we have been able to identify that it is in fact Adam in these pictures."

I nodded.

"As I'm sure Owen has informed you, we need you to find out what Adam was doing with Rachael." Vance said. "Which means, follow him, check his phone, check his computer, you name it. You don't have to come here unless you have to. If for some unforeseeable reason you need back up, Agent Gibbs has already agreed to help if need be, and that his team will be on standby."

"Ok." I said.

"Everything you need to know is in this file." Vance said, as he closed it, and held it out to me. "If you have any questions, just ask."

I took the folder.

"Ok." I said.

"Leon and I discussed about you having a lack of a partner." Granger said. "And even though we know you're capable of handling anything by yourself, it's protocol for every Agent to have a partner or back up at all times unless stated otherwise. And since Adam would recognize me, Leon, or anyone from your team for that matter, we handpicked someone ourselves to go undercover alongside you that we know for sure he's never seen before."

"Ok." I said. "Who is it?"

Suddenly, the door opened, followed by a voice saying:

"Sorry I'm late, Director Vance, the traffic is just madness out there."

I looked toward the voice and saw a man, closing the door. Then he turned to face us.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asked.

"No, you're actually right on time." Vance said, standing up. "Agent Taylor, I would like you to meet your partner for this assignment. This is Operational Psychologist Nate Getz, who is also the same person who identified Adam in the surveillance photos. Nate, this is Special Agent Emily Taylor."

"Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." Nate said, as I stood up and he walked toward me with his hand outstretched.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, too." I said, taking his hand and shaking it.

Nate Getz, Nate Getz…Why does that name sound so familiar?

"Nate is part of the NCIS: Office of Special Projects branch in Los Angeles." Granger said, as mine and Nate's hands retreated. "He's the psychologist there and sometimes travels to other places where he's needed."

_"Why do you sound so annoyed?" I asked._

_"It's Nate." Callen said, sounding quite irritable. _

_"Ok, and, _who _is Nate?" I asked._

_"He's the Operational Psychologist here." He said. "We had psych evaluations today and he's trying to pick at my brain and trying to figure things out about me that I don't want anyone to know, let alone talk about…Not with _him_, anyway. I would prefer it very much if I was talking to you during my psych evaluations. At least you know everything and understand."_

_"But I'm not a psychologist." I said._

_"And there lies my point." Callen said. "You don't try to get me to open up or explain something about myself. You just let me do it on my own, and let me come to you….It's something you and Sam have in common."_

_When Callen said his last sentence, I noticed his tone had gone from irritated, to sad._

_"I miss you, too." I said to him._

"Ha," I said uneasily, smiling at Nate, who in turned smiled a little and looked at me a little confused.

"What?" Nate asked.

"Nothing." I said. "It's just not every day I meet a psychologist, who is also going to be my partner." Who Callen gets irritated at from time to time, mostly during psych evaluations. "…..That's all."

"I can assure you Agent Taylor that Nate is capable of being out in the field." Vance said.

"I have no doubt that he is, sir." I said. "It's just a first time for everything situation, that's all."

"Ah, I see." Nate said. "Don't worry, I'm a good partner. Shall we get to know each other and get comfortable in our aliases?"

"Just yours." I said. "And sure."

Then, I picked up my bag, headed toward the door, and left Director Vance's Office. Nate following me.


	28. Chapter 28

(Washington D.C.)

(At Emily's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"So, I was told you were working with Callen, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Eric, and Nell back in Los Angeles on the case that ties Adam Morgan to it." Nate said.

Nate and I were at my house, sitting at the kitchen table, eating lunch, and learning about each other.

I was being very careful about what I said to him.

Not because he was a psychologist, but because Callen told me things about him already, and I didn't want it to slip.

"Yes, I did." I said.

"I was also told you worked with Callen before." He said.

"Yes, I did." I said.

"He never mentioned you." Nate said. "At least, not by name. He always referred you as-"

"The friend he made at the FBI." I said, finishing his sentence, and smiling a little. "I know."

Nate looked at me thoughtfully.

"Are you two as close as what it seemed?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Whenever Callen talked about you, he always sounded sincere, and happy." Nate explained. "He would also talk about you as if you were someone close to him. Someone he could trust. Like how he trusts Sam. Then he would always be in a good mood after words."

"Really?" I asked.

Nate nodded.

"So, were you two as closed as what it seemed?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said. "In fact, we still are. We kept in contact over the years."

"I see." Nate said. "What was it like working with Callen?"

"Never a dull moment." I said. "I enjoy working with him."

Nate nodded.

"Was he always so reserved?" Nate asked.

"You know what? Let's not talk about Callen anymore." I said. "What do you want to know about me?"

"Ok." He began. "Um….How long have you been an Agent for NCIS?"

"A couple years now." I said.

"How are you dealing with the whole Adam situation?" Nate asked.

"Good." I said. "I mean, I don't like the fact that I've been in a relationship with a _murderer_, but other than that, I'm good."

Nate studied me for a moment.

"Yes." He said, sounding confused. "You are ok with it…..Why though?"

I hesitated a moment, then I said:

"When I was gone, I realized I wasn't as in love with him as I thought I was."

"And you planned on breaking up with him." Nate said.

I nodded, as I looked away from him.

"Because there's someone else." I heard Nate say.

I looked at him.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Emily, I'm a professional psychologist." Nate said. "The way you said you realized you weren't as in love with him as you thought, gave it away."

I sighed as I looked away from him again.

"You also feel horrible about it." I heard Nate say. "But the way you feel about the other guy has been around way before Shawn came into the picture."

I looked at Nate.

"Part of you even thought maybe if you were with another guy, your feelings for the guy you love would go away." Nate said. "But that didn't happen. If anything, they got stronger."

It was silent then, as I stared at Nate.

"Tell me I'm wrong." He said. Challenging me.

"I can't." I said, with a sigh. "And I won't."

Nate looked at me as if he was surprised that I said those words to him.

"You don't seem like someone who would cheat." Nate said.

"I'm not and I don't." I said honestly. "But when it came to him….."

"And when the opportunity arrived, you couldn't help it." He said.

"Exactly." I said, quietly. "I couldn't help it…..We only kissed, we didn't go…farther than that."

"But you wanted to." Nate said.

"…I wanted to." I admitted quietly.

"Because unlike Shawn, you're in love with him." He said. "And you have been for a while."

I nodded.

It was silent for a moment, then Nate asked:

"Who is it?"

I looked at him confused.

"The guy." He explained. "The one you're in love with….Who is he?"

"I rather not say." I said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I stood there at the closed door to the boatshed.

I really didn't want to go inside, for three reasons.

One, I didn't want Kensi and Deeks to question me about just how close Emily and I are, and to somehow have us being married come out, and then having to explain to them everything from how the marriage happened, up to how I'm in love with her and trying to win her away from Shawn.

Two, I really didn't want to see Rachael.

And three, I wanted to just leave and go straight to Washington D.C. and see Emily to make sure she's alright and to more than likely punch Granger for taking her away in the first place.

And even though I told myself that I had to go in there…I stayed right where I was.

"You know you have to go in there eventually, right?" I heard a voice say behind me.

I recognized the voice as Sam's.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Five minutes." I heard Sam say.

I continued to stare at the door.

"They're not gonna bite you, G." I heard Sam say.

"I actually think they're both capable of biting." I said, looking at him. "Deeks especially."

"Which one would actually act on it though?" Sam asked.

We both thought about it for a moment, then we both said:

"Kensi."

"Definitely, Kensi." I added, as I looked back at the door.

"You should have been straight up with them." I heard Sam say, making me look at him again. "When they found out you and Emily knew each other, you should have told them you were married, too."

"Says the SEAL who _didn't_ want them to know he had a family." I pointed out to him.

"But when they found out, I came clean with everything." Sam said. "They may not have known what Michelle _looked_ like, but I at least told them _about_ her."

I sighed. Knowing he was right.

"You gotta tell them." He said. "I mean, if this Midura guy _really_ knows how much you care about Emily, and if he somehow knows she's your _wife_, he _will _try to get to her first and you _know_ it."

"There's no way he could know." I said. "It happened when he was in jail, and all of the computer copies were deleted. There's only paper files left of the marriage even existing. Emily and I made sure of that. Which is why when Nell looked Emily up, she didn't see the marriage license…if anyone looked either one of us up, _no one_ would see the marriage license. No one would know either one of us was married….Let alone to each other."

"But Hetty found out." Sam pointed out to me.

"Hetty could find out _anything_." I pointed out to him.

"I'm just saying," He said. "If it was easy for Hetty to find, it wouldn't be hard for someone else."

I sighed.

"I'm going to go to OPS." I said to him.

"So you're going to _avoid_ them?" Sam asked.

"Just for now." I said. "Just until I get what I want to say in order."

"Uh huh." He said.

"I'll be back." I said. "I promise."

"And what do you want me to say to them?" Sam asked.

"Just tell them Hetty needed me and I'll be here later." I said.

"Alright." He said.

"Thanks, Big guy." I said. "I owe you one."

"Times a hundred." Sam said, as I walked by him.

Then, I headed toward my car.


	29. Chapter 29

(Los Angeles)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_"It says here in the records, that you two did have a wedding performed by a Reverend Andrew Feltz with a witness named Gustav." Marcel, my divorce lawyer, said, as he looked at the computer._

_"That's correct." I said._

_"Did you sign a marriage certificate?" Marcel asked._

_"No." Emily said. "…We didn't, did we?"_

_"No." I said, remembering. "We were in a hurry."_

_"Well, I have good news for you then." Marcel said, smiling, as he looked at us. "You two aren't married."_

_"Really?" I asked, hopefully._

_"Really." Marcel said._

_"Oh, thank goodness!" I said, relieved._

_"However," Marcel said. "If you want, I can get you a marriage license that you can sign. Then you two will officially be married."_

_"Is that even legal?" Emily asked._

_"Yeah." Marcel said, nodding. "It's very legal. You two wouldn't be the first ones to do it."_

_"You're not considering signing it…..Are you?" I asked her._

_"I wasn't." Emily began. "But…."_

_I looked at her in disbelief._

_"I'll give you two some privacy and time to talk this through." Marcel said._

_Then, Marcel got up, headed toward his office door, and left. Closing the door on his way out._

_"Please say you don't want to get married to me." I said._

_"I was just thinking about the positive effects of it." Emily said._

_"What kind of positive effects would us getting married have?" I asked._

_"Well, it would always mean we would have each other." She said. "Not matter what. I mean…..None of my family know anything about me, or at least, about my job, and my parents live in Norway, while the rest of my family live around the world. And you don't have any family…..I'm just saying you're more than a friend to me and…..I don't want to lose you."_

_I took her hand._

_"You mean more than a friend to me, too." I said. "But you're never going to lose me."_

_"Never?" Emily asked._

_"Never." I said. "I promise…..I will always be there."_

_Emily smiled at me, and I smiled back at her._

_It was silent for a couple seconds, then I said:_

_"You know what? Let's do it."_

_Emily looked at me confused._

_"Let's sign the certificate." I said._

_"What?" Emily asked me in disbelief._

_"Let's make it official." I said._

_"You want to be married to me?" She asked._

_"Why not?" I asked. "It's not like I will ever get married again. And who better to be married to, than to someone I already care about? Plus, like you said…We don't really have anyone else."_

_Emily put her hand over mine._

I looked at the Navy SEAL ring in my hands. Studying it.

I was currently sitting at my desk. Thinking things over.

I then put the Navy SEAL ring on my ring finger of my left hand.

It still fit.

It fit _perfectly_.

_"Are you sure you want to sign it?" Emily asked for about the tenth time._

_"I'm sure." I said._

_I then picked up a pen, and signed my name on the marriage certificate._

_Then, I passed the certificate over to Emily along with the pen._

_Emily picked up the pen, and hesitated._

_But in the end, she signed her name on the certificate._

_Then, she passed the certificate and pen over to Marcel._

_"Congratulations." Marcel said, smiling. "You're now married."_

_"Thank you." I said. "Also, did you-"_

_"Delete all the computer files about this like you asked? Yes." Marcel said. "There are only paper copies now."_

_"Thank you." I said._

_"Not a problem, Mr. Callen." Marcel said. "You and Mrs. Callen have a great day."_

_Then, Marcel picked up the marriage certificate, got up, and went into his office._

_"Well, Mrs. Callen," I said, smiling at Emily. "Would you like some lunch?"_

_"I still can't believe we just signed that." Emily said._

_I laughed a little._

_"Well, this way, if I were to ever end up in the hospital, you can see me any time you want." I said._

_"G. that's NOT funny!" Emily said, as she hit me in the arm._

_I laughed a little._

_"It's true, though." I said. "Come on," I then stood up. "Lunch is on me."_

I took the ring off my finger, and studied it once again.

"That's an interesting ring you have there, Mr. Callen." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty was walking toward me.

"I didn't think you were ever in the Navy." She said.

"Because I wasn't." I said.

"I see." Hetty said. "And if that's so, why do you have that ring?"

"I think we both know you know the answer to that." I said.

A hint of a smile showed on her face.

"Why don't you tell me anyway?" She asked.

I moved the ring to the palm of my hand and covered it with my fingers.

"How did you know?" I asked. "How did you find out?"

"I don't have to tell you I am a woman with many secrets, Mr. Callen." Hetty said.

"How did you know, though?" I asked.

Hetty was silent for a couple seconds, then she said:

"Her ring."

I looked at her confused.

"The ring that's around her neck. The butterfly ring." Hetty explained. "I saw it."

"You know of that ring?" I asked, surprised.

Hetty nodded.

"The butterfly ring, was mine, once." She said. "It was a gift from…Well, let's just say it's was a gift from _someone_."

"How did I end up with it?" I asked.

"I gave it to your mother." Hetty said. "I gave it to her for one of her birthday's…I figured it got lost or stolen when they didn't find it on her. But when I saw that Miss Taylor had the ring, I knew there must have been something that happened along the way."

"And you looked more into Emily." I said.

Hetty nodded.

"And this means my mom gave the ring to me." I said, as I came to the realization. "She must of gave it to me before what happened."

"That's exactly what I thought, Mr. Callen." She said.

"What happened when you looked more into Emily?" I asked.

"I think you already know what I saw, Mr. Callen." Hetty said.

"Humor me." I said, smiling a little.

"When I saw you two worked together, and saw the sudden days of vacation taken off after the case known as Sundown, I looked to see what you did." She said. "And I noticed you had an appointment with a Mr. Galleger."

"You _saw_ Marcel?!" I asked, feeling a little angry.

"Yes." Hetty said. "And that's when I saw your file, along with the marriage license you and Miss Taylor signed."

"Marcel was suppose to contact one of us if someone were to ask about me or her." I said.

"Oh, Mr. Callen," She said. "What makes you think I asked to see your file directly? I'm sure even _you_ have ways to go about seeing something without directly _asking_ to see it."

She's got me there, I thought.

"You could have just asked." I said.

"I think we both know you wouldn't have told me." Hetty said. "Just like how you didn't tell Sam."

I looked away from her.

"Speaking of Mr. Hanna," I heard Hetty begin. "Him, Mr. Deeks, and Miss Blye are at the boatshed, yet, you are here…Why is that?"

I looked at my closed hand where the Navy SEAL ring was.

"She's fine." I heard Hetty say.

I looked back at her.

"Now you have to go to the boatshed, and continue to interrogate Miss Vogal." Hetty said. "I'm sure in a way, she will tell you want you need to know."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"There you are." I heard Kensi say, as I closed the door to the boatshed. "We were beginning to think Hetty was going to keep you."

I look toward Kensi and saw her, Sam, and Deeks were standing in the main room of the boatshed, looking at me.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I said.

"So, what's the plan, G.?" Sam asked.

I thought about what Sam asked, then I said:

"Rachael wants to play games…..And I'm going to beat her at her own game."

I reached into my pocket and took out the Navy SEAL ring.

"Is that a _ring_?" I heard Deeks ask.

"Yeah." I said, looking at him. "In fact, it's a Navy SEAL one."

I then put the ring on my ring finger of my left hand.

"But you weren't in the Navy." Sam said, sounding confused.

"Not even for a day." I said.

"Then where did you get it?" Kensi asked. "Is it a prop from Hetty?"

"Sure." I said, smiling a little.

Then, I unlocked the door, opened it, and went inside the interrogation room. Closing the door behind me.

As I closed the door, Rachael looked at me.

"Oh, it's you." Rachael said, unenthusiastically, as she looked away from me.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I walked over to the chair across from her, and sat down. Putting my left hand on the table, so that she could see it.

"Why are you back?" She asked. "Did you figure it out?"

"Nope." I said, honestly. "Not yet."

Rachael rolled her eyes.

"I knew Emily was the one who did all the work." Rachael said. "No surprise there."

"Like wise." I said.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

Then, Rachael looked at my left hand.

"Since when were YOU in the Navy?" She asked. "Or a SEAL for that matter?"

"I wasn't." I said. "And I'm not."

"Then why are you wearing that ring?" Rachael asked.

"This ring?" I asked, pointing at it.

"Don't play dumb with me Callen." She said. "You know that won't work."

"I'm actually surprised you don't remember this ring." I said.

"And why would I remember it?" Rachael asked.

"Don't tell me you don't remember?" I asked.

"Remember what?" She asked, sounding irritated.

"Me and Emily." I said. "We're married, remember?"

Rachael looked at me in shock.

"You _really_ don't remember do you?" I asked.

"You two are NOT married." Rachael said, clearly not believing me.

"Would I be wearing this if we weren't?" I asked, lifting up my left hand to show her the ring.

Rachael looked at me shocked.

"This is Emily's ring." I said. "When we got married, we decided to give each other rings that meant something to us as our wedding rings….So, she gave me this."

"That's….That's not possible." She said. "No way is that possible."

"Why wouldn't it be possible?" I asked. "I mean…We are _really_ comfortable around each other….I'm sure we told you."

"You two AREN'T married." Rachael said.

"Why do you keep saying that?" I asked.

"Because she's with Shawn!" She said. "And she would NEVER cheat on anyone. She's too _goody-goody_ when it comes to that."

"I see." I said, as I began to smile. "And…How do you know about Shawn?"

A couple seconds went by, then Rachael's eyes went wide. Obviously realizing what she had said.

"Thanks, Rachael." I said. "I think I got what I needed."

I then got up, walked over to the door, opened it, and left. Closing and locking the door behind me.

I then walked into the main room of the boatshed.

"Well, this isn't good." Deeks said. "Isn't Shawn like-"

"Her fiancé?" I asked. "Kind of."

"I was actually going to say 'boyfriend', but, ok." Deeks said.

"So, Shawn and Rachael know each other." Kensi said.

"Which means Shawn probably used Emily's phone to call Rachael." Sam said. "Setting her up."

"Which also means she's in danger." I said. Then, I sighed.

"But what has Shawn connecting to this?" Kensi asked. "How is he involved?"

"Mr. Callen," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty, Eric, and Nell on the T.V. Screen from OPS.

"I'm afraid this just got a lot worse." Hetty said.

"How can it get any worse?" Deeks asked.

"Mr. Galleger, was found dead." Hetty said.

When Hetty said that, I automatically knew what happened.

"Who's Mr. Galleger?" I heard Kensi ask.

"My divorce lawyer." I said.

"Why would someone go after your divorce lawyer?" I heard Sam ask me.

"Not someone." I said. "Midura."

"Ok." I heard Sam say. "And why would Midura go after your divorce lawyer?"

"Because there's only paper copies." I said. Then I looked at Sam.

And when I did, I saw he knew what I meant.

"Eric, when's the next flight to Washington?" I asked, looking at him.

"Uh," Eric began, as he typed on his keyboard. "Two hours."

"That's too long, is there _any_ other way to get to Washington?" I asked. "Even if you have to call in a favor or pull some strings-"

"Looking it up right now." Eric said.

"I'm confused." I heard Deeks say. "Why are you going to Washington?"

"So that I can get to Emily before Midura, or Shawn does." I said, looking at him.

"Why would your divorce lawyer being found dead, send off alarm bells for you to go to Emily?" Kensi asked. "It may not even have been Midura who killed him."

"Kensi's right." Deeks said. "I mean, it could have been someone else who killed him, or an unfortunate accident, or a natural cause, like a heart attack or something."

"I don't have time for this." I said, as I looked back at Eric. "Well?!"

"Still looking." Nell said.

"Callen, just TELL us why you need to go to Emily at this very moment." I heard Kensi ask.

"Because she's my _wife_!" I snapped angrily at her. "She's my wife, and the only person who had _proof_ of us being married, is now dead. _That's_ why I need to get to her."

Then, as Kensi and Deeks stared at me in shock, I looked at Sam.

"You happy now?" I asked. "I TOLD them." Then I looked at Hetty. "There, I _admitted_ it. Are _you_ happy now, too?"

"Mr. Callen," Hetty began. "You need to calm down."

"No, Hetty." I said. "I will NOT be calm about this!" Then I looked at Eric, to see he was just staring at me in shock. "What the _hell_ are you staring at me for? You're suppose to be looking for a flight to D.C.! Get back to it!"

"Right! Sorry!" Eric said, quickly, as he looked away and began to type on his computer.

"Wait, so, what you said to Rachael about you and Emily being married…" I heard Kensi begin.

"Was the truth. Yes." I said, looking at her.

"Oh, wow." Deeks said, still in shock.

"Callen," I heard Nell say, gaining my attention. "We found a flight."

"Call them and tell them I will be on it." I said. "And send the details to me."

I then headed toward the door.

"So will I." I heard Sam say.

"Sam," I began turning around to face him.

"You would do it for me." Sam said. "Plus, I like Emily too much."

I was about to protest, when I heard Kensi say:

"We're going to."

I looked at them.

"No." I said.

"Hey, either we go with you, or without you, but either way we're going." Deeks said.

I looked at Sam, Kensi, and Deeks.

"You don't have to do this alone, G." Sam said.

I sighed.

"Fine." I said. "Let's go."


	30. Chapter 30

(In an Airplane)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"So…." Deeks began. "If Emily's married to you, then, why does she have a fiancé?"

Deeks, Kensi, Sam, and I were in a private Jet on our way to Washington D.C.

I glared at Deeks.

"What?" Deeks asked. "Is it a touchy subject?"

"I think maybe it's best if you just don't talk for the entire trip." I said.

"But I don't understand how you two can be married, yet she _has_ a fiancé." Deeks said. "Despite him being a murderer, working for Midura, and is _possibly_ planning on killing Emily any second."

A couple minutes before Deeks began to talk, Nell popped up on the computer screen in my lap and told us everything about Shawn. Including his real name, how long he's known Rachael, and how he was a CIA Agent.

His connection to Midura, however, was still unknown.

I had told Nell to call Emily and to let me know when she's reached her.

But the longer Nell hasn't called back, the more worried and antsy I got.

And now, since Deeks was talking, I was beginning to get irritated.

I stared at Deeks.

"Kensi, but a muzzle on your partner." I said.

"I would, but there isn't one big enough for his head." Kensi said.

Sam chuckled, as Deeks looked at her.

"Ha, ha, ha, Kensi made a funny." Deeks said. Then he looked back at me. "I just want to know the whole story about you guys, because, obviously, I didn't know it when I _thought_ I knew it."

"And what makes you think I'm going to tell you now?" I asked.

"Well, maybe if I ask _politely_, you will tell me." Deeks said. "Including how you two got married, how long you have been married, etcetera, etcetera."

"Why do you want to know so bad?" Sam asked.

"Because Callen being married is kind of a _shock_ to the system." Deeks said. "Especially since he's married to his _smokin' hot_ FBI friend."

I stared at him.

"I-I-I mean," Deeks began, stuttering. "His FBI friend who I am not at _all_ attracted to on _any _level."

"Hey, Callen," I heard a voice say.

I looked down at my lap top and saw Nell on my screen.

"Did she answer?" I asked, hopefully.

"No." Nell said.

I felt my heart sink.

"But Eric is continuing to call her phone." Nell said, quickly. "Her phone is on, we just think she's busy and can't answer it at the moment."

"Don't stop." I said.

"We won't." Nell said. "And about the whereabouts of Midura and Shawn-"

"Where are they?" I asked.

"Shawn is in D.C." Nell said. "But I can't find anything on Midura. He must be using a burnt phone or something."

"Try to find him." I said.

Nell gave me a nod.

Then, Nell disappeared. Giving my computer back its original screen.

I slid down in my chair, and rubbed my hand over my face.

I have to get to her, I thought. I have to get to her.

I then pulled my hand away from my face and looked at the Navy SEAL ring that was still on my ring finger of my left hand.

_"Thanks for taking me home." Emily said, as we stopped at her door step._

_"Not a problem." I said._

_"So, um," She began. "I'm guessing you want this back?"_

_Emily then took off the butterfly ring and held it out to me._

_"No." I said. "It's yours now."_

_"But Callen," Emily began. "Your mom could have given this to you."_

_"I know." I said._

_"And you said-" She began._

_"I know what I said." I said, cutting her off, and putting my hands over her own. "But I want you to keep it."_

_"But," Emily began again._

_"No buts." I said._

_I then took the ring from her, took her left hand, and put the ring back on her ring finger of her left hand._

_Emily looked at me and I looked at her._

_"Besides," I said, smiling a little at her. "In a way, you're kind of like a soul mate to me."_

_Emily smiled a little and shook her head._

_"I thought you didn't believe in soul mates?" Emily asked._

_I shrugged._

_"Someone may have made me see that the possibility of there being a soul mate, is possible." I said. "You just have to find them."_

_Emily smiled a little bit more at me._

_"What about you?" I asked. "Do you want your ring back? Which by the way, why the hell did you have a Navy SEAL ring in your pocket?"_

_Emily laughed._

_"Believe it or not G., but, there is still some things you don't know about me." She said. _

_"Does that mean you're going to tell me about the ring?" I asked._

_"One day, maybe." Emily said._

_I chuckled._

_"But you can keep it." She said._

_"Are you sure?" I asked. "I'm not going to be wearing it one day and have some guy walk up to me and ask why I'm wearing his ring, am I?"_

_Emily laughed._

_"No." Emily said. "Definitely not."_

_"Alright then." I said, smiling. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."_

_"See you tomorrow." She said._

_Then, Emily walked the short distance to the door, opened it, and went inside. Closing the door behind her._

I took a deep breath, and took the Navy SEAL ring off.

Then, I put it in my pocket. Well aware of the three pairs of eyes watching me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Washington D.C.)

(At Emily's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_Two weeks have gone by._

_And I still haven't heard from Callen._

_Not hearing from him, concerned me._

_I was so worried now, and anxious to hear from him, it was distracting me from other things._

_Including listening to Shawn ramble about things at work, and me _actually_ working._

_Right now, I was pacing back and forth in Abby's Lab._

_Truth be told, she wasn't here at the moment._

_Which I was happy about, because she would have asked me why I was just pacing in her Lab._

_I have been debating in my head for the past couple of weeks on whether or not to just up and go to Los Angeles to make sure Callen was alright._

_But I have been reasoning with myself that maybe he was pulled into an undercover job last minute and couldn't contact me._

_It wouldn't have been the first time that happened._

_But something told me it wasn't that._

_Not knowing, was driving me crazy._

_"Emily!" I heard a voice say._

_I recognized the voice as Abby's._

_"Hey, Abby." I said, as I continued to pace._

_"Why are you pacing in my lab?" I heard Abby ask._

_"I just needed somewhere to be alone for a bit." I said._

_"Is that so?" I heard a voice ask._

_I looked up and saw Gibb._

_ I instantly stopped walking._

_"Abby, can you give us a moment?" Gibbs asked, not taking his eyes off me._

_"Sure." Abby said. "I'll go say hi to Ducky."_

_Then, Abby left the room. Leaving me with Gibbs._

_A minute went by in silence, then Gibbs said:_

_"I know that look…..What's wrong?"_

_I looked away from Gibbs._

_"Whatever it is, it's distracting you." I heard Gibbs say. "You can't let it distract you or your work."_

_"I'm trying." I said._

_"Then you're not trying hard enough." I heard Gibbs say._

_I looked back at him._

_"Gibbs," I said. "It's hard to push it away, when it's just _gnawing_ at you day and night. Making sure that you _won't_ forget about it, and _reminding_ you that you won't get another good night's sleep or peace of mind until you know if that one person is _ok_." Tears then came to my eyes. "And unfortunately, what I'm waiting for, _doesn't _seem to be coming, and I'm FREAKING OUT!"_

_As tears began to fall down my face, Gibbs walked over to me, and hugged me._

_"I hate this." I whispered. "I hate this. I hate not hearing from him."_

_"Hearing from who?" I heard Gibbs ask softly._

_And that's when I remembered, Gibbs had no idea I knew Callen, or how close we were._

Shawn, Nate, and I were laughing at something Nate had said.

We were sitting in the living room, talking.

"Wow, Fred, that's really funny!" Shawn said, as his laughter died down. "You're a funny guy."

"Thanks, Shawn, I appreciate that." Nate said.

"Honey, why didn't you introduce your brother to me before?" Shawn asked, looking at me.

"Well-" I began.

"That's my fault." Nate said, taking over. "I'm a professor at Stanford and I seldom have any time to fly out here and visit my favorite sister."

"But thankfully, he made some time for me." I said.

Just then, I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket again.

It has been vibrating every five seconds.

I wanted to excuse myself and check it, but I was afraid to leave Nate alone with Shawn.

"Well, I'm glad to meet you now." Shawn said, smiling at him.

"Like wise." Nate said. "Emily's told me a lot about you."

"Wish I could say the same." Shawn said.

Just then, a phone began to ring.

"Sorry." Shawn said as he reached into his pocket, and took his phone out. Looking at it as he did. "I have to take this."

"Ok." I said.

Then, Shawn stood up, and walked toward the kitchen, answering his phone as he did.

As soon as he was gone, I took out my phone and looked at it.

There were several missed calls from OPS, Nell, and Eric.

"What?" I heard Nate ask.

"Nell and Eric have been trying to reach me." I said, looking at him.

"You don't think…" Nate began.

"Well, NOW I do!" I said, as I began to feel a little worried.

"Em, everything is going to be alright." He said, in an assuring voice. "I'm sure everyone's fine."

Just then, my phone began to vibrate in my hand.

I looked down and saw Nell was calling me once again.

"I wouldn't answer that, if I were you." I heard a voice say behind me. Following by feeling the end of a gun to the back of my head.

I instantly recognized the voice as Shawn's.

"Set the phone down." I heard Shawn say.

I sat the phone down on the coffee table.

"Shawn," Nate began.

"Shut up, whoever you are!" I heard Shawn snap at Nate. "Stand up. Both of you."

Nate and I both stood up.

I then felt Shawn take my gun out of it's holster.

"Upstairs." I heard Shawn say. "Now."

Nate and I obeyed and headed toward the stairs.

"Shawn," Nate began.

"Don't talk." I heard Shawn say.

Once we reached the stairs, we went up them, and headed into the bedroom.

"Shawn, you're making a mistake." Nate said.

"I said, shut up!" Shawn said, as I turned around to face him.

"Get to the bed post." Shawn said to me.

"Shawn," I began.

"Bed. Post." Shawn said.

I walked backwards to the bed post.

"You." Shawn said looking at Nate, as he took out a pair of handcuffs. "Handcuff her."

Shawn then tossed Nate the handcuffs.

Nate caught them, and slowly walked over to me.

As Nate put the handcuffs around the post and handcuffed me, he looked at me with an apologetic look.

Then, suddenly, something hit Nate in the back of the head, and he fell to the ground.

I looked at Shawn and saw he had hit Nate in the back of the head with the end of the gun.

"Shawn," I began.

"You know my real name." Shawn said. "Just say it. I already know about you being an NCIS Agent."

"Adam," I said. "Why are you doing this?"

"I think we both know you know why." He said.

"No, I really don't." I said.

"Your partner _killed_ my mother to save you." Adam said.

"Sheela is your _mother_?!" I asked in disbelief.

Adam smiled.

"Funny," He said. "I thought Granger told you that."

I continued to look at him in shock.

"You see, the plan was simple." Adam said. "I get you to fall in love with me, we get Rachael to kill Agent Callen, and I will kill you….Though, things got a little complicated when I realized I was in love with you…..But after what my father just told me, I have no issues killing you now…..And killing you, would kill Agent Callen, your _husband_, too."

"How-" I began.

"My father just told me." He said.

"So, what, you're just going to shoot me?" I asked.

"No." Adam said. "You don't deserve something quick."

"Then what are you going to do?" I asked.

Adam smiled.

"You look a little pale." He said. "You need to be _tanner_."


	31. Chapter 31

(At Emily's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Nate!" I shouted to him, over the roar of the fire. "Nate wake up!"

I moved his arm with my foot.

Nothing.

He remained unconscious on the floor by the bed.

I looked back at the bedroom door and saw the flames of the fire Adam set before he left getting closer.

"NATE!" I shouted, as I moved his arm with my foot a lot rougher.

Still nothing.

I yanked at the handcuffs around the bed post. Hoping to somehow get out of them.

"HELP!" I screamed, as I continued to yank at the handcuffs. "HELP! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! HELP!"

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Outside Emily's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Why does it smell like something's burning?" I heard Kensi ask, as I pulled onto Emily's street.

And when I did, I saw police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks at Emily's house.

I slammed on the breaks.

"Shit, G.!" I heard Sam say.

I ignored him, as I quickly parked the car, and got of it. Looking at the crowd that gathered.

"Please tell me that's not….." I heard Deeks say.

I ran toward the house.

Once I reached the police tape, I saw Emily's house burnt to nothing.

"No." I whispered to myself, as I felt my heart beginning to break. "No, no, no, no, no."

"G.?" I heard a voice say behind me.

I turned around.

"Emily!" I said, relieved, as I looked at her. "Oh, my god, Emily!"

I ran to her, and hugged her tightly.

"You're ok." I said. "You're alive. You're in my arms. I'm _never_ letting you go again."

"G., what are you doing here?" I heard Emily ask, sounding confused.

I pulled away from her, but kept my hands on her arms.

"Midura, he….He killed Marcel, he knows about us." I explained to her. "And I know who Shawn really is, and I came here to get you before either one of them hurt you." I then looked her over. "Babe, what happened to your wrist?"

"Oh, it was nothing." Emily said, as I looked at the white bandages that was wrapped around both her wrist.

"No, something happened, what happened?" I asked, looking at her.

Emily hesitated a moment, then she said:

"Adam found out about who I really was, and he made Nate handcuff me to the bed post-"

"Wait, Nate?" I asked, cutting her off. "Nate's here? As in Nate Getz?"

"Yes." She said. "He was my partner for what Granger wanted me to do. Which, I have a bone to pick with him about something he didn't tell me. That unbelievable-"

"Ok, hold on." I said, cutting her off again. "One thing at the time. You're telling me that you were in that house with Nate and Adam?"

"Yes." Emily said.

"And Adam made Nate handcuff you to the bed post?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Ok, what happened after that?" I asked.

"Adam knocked Nate out and told me some stuff." She said. "And when he left, he started a fire, and I tried to wake Nate up, but he was unconscious, and I kept trying to get out of the handcuffs which is why I have bandages on my wrist, I cut them…..and when I thought we were doomed, I saw Gibbs, and Tony, and Ziva, and McGee, and they got me out of the handcuffs, and got me and Nate out of the house."

I wrapped her in my arms again, as I silently thanked Gibbs in my mind.

"Is Nate ok?" I asked.

"Yeah." I heard Emily say. "About five minutes after we got out, he woke up."

I moved my hand up and down her back comfortly.

"Callen?" I heard a familiar voice ask.

I pulled away from Emily and looked toward the voice.

Walking up to us, was Gibbs.

"Gibbs," I said.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked. Then, he looked at Emily questionably.

"Her." I said to him. "I'm here for her."

I saw realization come to Gibbs eyes.

"Hey, Boss," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw McGee walking toward Gibbs.

"I-" McGee began. But stopped when he saw me. "Callen, hey!...What are you doing here?"

"What do you have, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh, um," McGee began looking at Gibbs. "I found out what started the blaze. It was gasoline and a cigarette match."

"Boss!" I heard another voice say. "You got to see this."

Gibbs sighed.

"I'll be right back." Gibbs said to me.

Then, Gibbs and McGee headed toward where the voice came from.

I looked at Emily.

"Where's Nate now?" I asked.

"They took him to the hospital to check him out further." Emily said. "Gibbs wouldn't let me go, because he wanted me to be kept in his sight. So Ziva went with him."

I nodded.

"…Did you call me _babe_?" She asked.

I chuckled.

"About a minute ago, maybe." I said.

Emily smiled a little and shook her head.

"Why?" I asked, smiling a little. "Did you like it?"

Emily blushed as she looked away from me.

I smiled more, as I looked back to where I came from.

And when I did, I saw Sam, Kensi, and Deeks a little ways away from us, just staring at us.

Sam had a grin on his face along with relief. Kensi was smiling as if she saw something cute. And Deeks was looking at us thoughtfully. As if he was trying to figure something out.

I dropped the smile, and waved them over.

"They know about us." I said to Emily, as I looked back at her. "Deeks, Kensi…They know."

"So, everyone knows." Emily said.

"My team does, anyway." I said.

"Hey, Emily." I heard a voice say.

Emily and I looked toward the voice and saw Deeks, Kensi, and Sam had reached us.

"It's good to see you're alright." Sam said.

"It's good to see you, Sam." Emily said.

"What happened to your wrist?" Deeks asked.

"Handcuffs." Emily said.

"….Handcuffs?" Deeks asked.

"It's not important." Emily said.

"No, because there are only about three reasons why you would be wearing handcuffs, and you obviously didn't do two of them." Deeks began.

I glared at him.

"…But you know what? If it's not important, it's not….important." Deeks said, sounding a little afraid.

I looked at Kensi.

"Nate's in the hospital. He's with Special Agent Ziva David." I said.

"Wait, _Nate_ is here?" Kensi asked.

"Yes." I said. "I want you to go there and check on him."

"Done." Kensi said.

Then, Kensi began to walk away.

"Sam, Deeks, stay here with Gibbs, McGee, and-" I began.

"Tony." Emily said.

"Tony, right." I said. "And help them."

"You got it." Deeks said. "And where-"

I pointed behind me.

"Right!" Deeks said.

Then, Deeks walked away.

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked.

"We need to talk to Granger." I said.

"Good luck with that." Sam said.

Then, Sam walked in the direction Deeks went in.


	32. Chapter 32

(At the NCIS Building)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Callen and I walked out of the elevator and headed toward the stairs to Director Vance's Office.

"Are you sure Granger is up here?" Callen asked, as we went up the stairs.

"Oh yeah." I said, positively.

Once we were almost to Director Vance's Office, Callen asked:

"Knock or walk?"

"Walk." I said.

Then, once I reached the door, I opened the door and walked into Director Vance's Office.

And when I did, I saw Director Vance and Assistant Director Granger look at me and Callen.

"Agent Callen, Agent Taylor, what is the meaning of this?" Vance asked.

"No offense Director, but we need a word with the Assistant Director." I said, anger clear in my voice.

"Make an appointment." Granger said, as he stood up. Then he looked directly at Callen. "What are you doing in Washington, Agent Callen?"

"Why do you think?" Callen asked him. Clearly just as angry as me.

"Agent Taylor, Agent Callen, I want to know why you just barged in here." Vance said.

"Why don't you ask your Assistant Director." I said.

Vance looked at Granger.

"I'm just as clueless as you are, Leon." Granger said.

"OK, here's a starting point." Callen said. "Why did you withhold information about our case?"

"What makes you think I withheld anything?" Granger asked.

"You could have told us that Shawn's name wasn't really Shawn." Callen said. "And that he knew Rachael."

"And you could have told me, that Adam is Sheela's and Midura's _son_." I said angrily.

"He's WHAT?!" Callen asked, shocked.

"Owen," Vance began. "Tell me they're wrong and you told them everything about the case. Including that Adam is Sheela's and Midura's son."

"It's hard to keep track who I told what these days." Granger said. "And besides, I thought Agent Taylor knew."

"If I knew, would you think I would have been _with_ him?" I asked. "You could have told me. But no, you didn't. Instead, Adam tells me _himself_, before setting my house on _fire_."

"So, I didn't tell you, big deal." Granger said. "Now you know." Then, Granger looked at Callen. "I still don't know why you're here, Agent Callen."

"Because I don't like the fact you put her in danger." Callen said.

"She's a big girl, Agent Callen." Granger said. "I think she can take care of herself."

"Let me do the same thing to _your_ wife and see how you like it?!" Callen shouted angrily at him.

It was silent then, as Granger stared at Callen, then he looked at me for a brief moment before looking back at Callen.

I could tell he was not expecting Callen to say that.

Neither was Vance, or myself, for that matter.

"Agent Taylor," Vance began, breaking the silence, and gaining my attention. "Please escort Agent Callen out of my Office and bring him somewhere to cool down."

"Of course." I said. Then I grabbed Callen's arm and began to pull him to the door. "Come on, G."

Callen resisted at first, but ended up letting me pull him out of the room, as he continued to stare at Granger.

Once Callen and I were out of Director Vance's Office, Callen and I headed toward the stairs.

"So, where do you want to go?" I asked, hoping to get his mind off of what just happened.

"I told him we were married." Callen said, as if he just realized what happened.

"Yeah, you kinda did." I said, as we went down the stairs, slowly.

"I told him." He said.

"You shouted it, actually." I said.

"Damn it." Callen muttered.


	33. Chapter 33

(Later)

(At Gibb's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Thank you for letting us stay here, Gibbs." I said.

Gibbs and I were in his kitchen getting some beers for Deeks, Sam, Kensi, and Emily who were currently in the living room, talking.

Gibbs had agreed…..well _insisted_-that we all stay with him for the night.

He said it wouldn't be any trouble and since it was only for one night, I gave in.

"It's not a problem Callen." Gibbs said, as he began to hand me a couple beers.

I took them from him.

"So," Gibbs began, as he handed me one more beer. "What's the story between you and Emily?"

"We go a way back." I said.

Gibbs grabbed three more beers, and closed the refrigerator.

"How far?" He asked, looking at me.

"FBI." I said.

"She's the friend you made at the FBI you never stopped talking about?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, she's her." I said.

"Now it makes sense as to why you asked me about the new recruit we got about seven years ago." Gibbs said.

_I'm _really_ not liking that guy, I thought._

_I had just gotten off the phone with Emily._

_I had asked how her boss was treating her today, since, it has been about five days since Emily started her job as an NCIS Agent in Washington D.C., and from what she said in previous phone calls, no one was treating her nicely._

_And the phone conversation I just had with her, was no different._

_No one was treating her nicely. Especially her boss._

_Still._

_And that _really_ irked me._

_That guy is lucky I'm not working there, I thought. Otherwise, he _will_ be treating her right._

_And that's when an idea came to me._

_He would help, too._

_I dialed a phone number, and put the phone to my ear._

_This had to stop._

_And I was going to make it._

_The phone was answered on the second ring._

_"Gibbs." I heard Gibbs say on the other side of the phone._

_"Hey, Gibbs." I said. "It's Callen."_

_"Hey, Callen." Gibbs said. "What can I do for you?"_

_"You're still working at the Washington headquarters, right?" I asked._

_"Yeah, and?" He asked._

_"Did you get a newbie recently?" I asked._

_"We get newbies all the time." Gibbs said._

_"Well, one in your office area." I said. _

_It was silent for a moment, then Gibbs asked:_

_"Why did you call me, Callen?"_

_"There's this girl who started working there five days ago." I said. "She's working for Agent Ronan."_

_"Agent Taylor." Gibbs said. "I've seen her before. What about her?"_

_"I heard she's not being treated nicely by others." I said. "Including, and especially, Agent Ronan."_

_"Is that so?" He asked._

_"Yeah." I said. "And since I know you don't like people treating other people without respect, or giving someone a chance when you don't know them, I thought I would tell you."_

_"Thank you for telling me." Gibbs said, a hint of anger in his tone. "Now, tell me, do you know how people have been treating her?"_

"Yeah." I said.

"There's more to it, though, isn't there?" Gibbs asked.

I sighed, as Gibbs looked at me expectantly.

"She's my wife." I said.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't know you were married again." He said.

"No one did." I said. "And before you ask, it's a long story."

"Can't wait to hear it." Gibbs said.

Then, he headed toward the living room. I followed him.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I opened the door to the bedroom, walking side as I did, and closed the door behind me.

I then walked over to the bed, and sat down on it with a sigh.

Granger knows.

Vance knowing didn't bother me.

But Granger knowing _did_.

Especially after I had told him that I wasn't one of the partners Callen has gone out with in the past.

Which, I wasn't.

But I had also said that we weren't in a relationship now.

Which, _technically_, we weren't.

In fact, I'm not even sure what to call what we are anymore.

Friends, definitely.

More than that….I don't know.

But I do know that Granger will not take getting lied to, or having us withhold the fact that we were married, too lightly.

At the moment though, Granger was the _least_ of my problems.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door, followed by the door opening.

I looked toward the door and saw Callen walking into the room.

"Hey," Callen said, as he closed the door.

"Hey," I said, as I stood up.

Callen smiled a little at me, and I smiled a little at him.

"I came to see how you were doing." He said.

"I'm fine." I said.

"What about your wrist?" Callen asked.

"They're fine." I said.

Callen nodded.

Then, silence fell between us, as we stared at each other.

And that's when I realized, this was the first time Callen and I have been alone since we were at his house.

Like, _alone_, alone.

No one else in the room with us.

And I could tell he realized it, too.

"So, um," Callen began, as he walked closer to me. "We leave here at six tomorrow in order to catch our flight back to Los Angeles."

"Ok." I said, nodding, as he continued to walk toward me.

"And, um," He began, as he reached me. "…The door's locked."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah." Callen said.

Without hesitation, I cupped his face with my hands and kissed him.

Callen immediately kissed me back, as he put his arms around me, pulling me closer to him.

The kiss was anything but soft and gentle, as we fell on the bed. Callen landing on top of me.

We kissed for a couple seconds before I pulled away. Both of us breathing heavy.

"We-we can't do this." I said, thinking clearly.

"Why not?" Callen asked, as he rested his forehead against mine.

"We're not the only ones in this house." I said.

"I think we can make it work." He said. "We just got to be quiet."

Then, Callen kissed me.

Deciding he was right, I kissed him back.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Wow." I said breathlessly.

"Yeah," I heard Callen say breathlessly also. "…..Wow."

Callen and I were lying in bed, side by side, underneath the covers, staring at the ceiling.

"That really was," I began.

"Wow." I heard Callen say.

"Yeah." I said.

It was silent then as I looked at him. Just in time to see him look at me.

"Did we really do what we just did?" I asked.

"I think so." Callen said. "Do you need me to pinch you or something?"

"Maybe." I said.

Callen smiled.

Then, he began to tickle me.

"Stop!" I said, as I laughed.

Callen chuckled, and pulled me to him.

We stared into each other's eyes.

And I was loving every minute of it.

Then, Callen leaned in and kissed me softly.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Morning, G." I heard a voice say, as I poured coffee in a cup.

I sat the coffee pot back where it was and looked toward the voice to see Sam had joined me in the kitchen.

"Morning, Sam." I said, smiling at him.

Sam looked at me questionably, as I walked over to the table.

"Morning!" I heard another voice say, happily.

I looked toward the voice and saw Emily walking by Sam to the coffee maker.

"Morning." I said, smiling more.

Emily smiled at me, before she grabbed a cup and began to pour coffee in it.

Sam looked between me and her with a confused look on his face, as I sat down in a chair.

"Gibbs already left for work?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." I said. "About five minutes ago. Where's Kensi and Deeks?"

"Deeks just got up." Emily said, as she walked over to the table and sat down beside me.

"I feel like I'm missing something." Sam said, as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Like what?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure." Sam said. "But I know it's something."

"Ok." I said. "If you say so."

Sam narrowed his eyes at me and began to study me and Emily.

"I will figure it out." Sam said. "I always do."

"Never said you didn't." I said.

Sam studied us for another minute, then he went toward the refrigerator as he mummbled:

"I WILL figure it out."


	34. Chapter 34

(Los Angeles)

(At NCIS:OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"LAPD checked out Marcel Galleger's Office." Eric said, as crime scene photo's of Marcel's Office showed up on the big screen in front of us.

Kensi, Sam, Deeks, Callen, Nell, Eric, Hetty, Nate, and I were in OPS getting told what had happened since we've been in Washington D.C.

"What did they find?" I asked.

"Nothing." Eric said. "Besides his body."

"They don't know if anything was missing?" Callen asked.

"As far as we know of, no." Nell said.

"There must be something missing." Nate said. "I read enough about Midura to know he doesn't kill someone then not take anything. It's not his memo. Though I don't understand why he would go after Callen's divorce lawyer."

Suddenly, there was an uneasy silence in the room.

"By the look on all of your faces, it suggests I'm out of the loop on something." Nate said. "…What is it?"

It was silent for another moment as Hetty looked at me and Callen expectantly.

"We should go." Callen said to me.

"We should." I said.

"Sam, Kensi, Deeks stay here with Eric and Nell and try to find where Adam went." Callen said.

They nodded.

"Let's go Em." Callen said, as he headed toward the door.

I followed him, and we left OPS.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

The car ride to Marcel's Office was silent.

But it wasn't an uncomfortable one.

Once Callen parked the car, we got out of it, and headed toward the building.

"Are you thinking Midura stole what I think he stole?" Callen asked, breaking the long silence.

"It's either that or Nate got him wrong." I said. "But it doesn't seem like Nate ever gets anything wrong."

"It definitely seems that way." He said, as we reached the door.

Callen opened the door, and we went inside the building.

Once Callen and I reached Marcel's Office, we saw a 'Do Not Cross' yellow tape across the open door.

I took the tape down from one side, and walked inside the Office.

"This place looks spotless." I said, as I took my gloves out, and began to put them on.

"Yeah." I heard Callen say. "It's as if no one was even killed here."

"Let me know if you find something." I said, as I walked over to the file cabinet.

"Like wise." I heard Callen say.

I opened the top drawer of the file cabinet and scanned through the folder names. Looking to see if a certain one was missing.

When I found nothing unusual, I closed it and opened the second one. Scanning through those, too.

"Anything?" I heard Callen ask.

"No." I said, closing the drawer. "You?"

"No." I heard Callen say, as I opened up the last drawer.

I scanned through the files in the drawer, and didn't find our file.

I closed the drawer and turned around to face Callen.

He was looking through Marcel's desk drawers.

"Anything?" I asked, as he closed the last drawer.

Callen looked at me and shook his head.

"You know what this means, right?" I asked.

"Yeah." Callen said. "I know what it means."

It was silent for a moment, then I said:

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, looking at me confused. Then, a look of realization came to his face. "Right….Don't be."

It was silent for another moment or two, then Callen said:

"We should go inform everyone."

I nodded.

Then, Callen and I headed out of the Office.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Hey," I said, as I walked into the bull pen.

Emily, who was sitting on the front of my desk and the only one in the bull pen, looked at me.

"I told them." I said, as I reached her. "They found Adam but they think he ditched his phone. But Gibbs and his team are checking it out right now."

Emily nodded.

"As for Midura, there still isn't any sign of him." I said. "…..And they're looking for _her_ as we speak so she can be brought in."

"Ok." Emily said, smiling a little at me.

I smiled a little back at her, as I moved in front of her. Placing my hands on my desk on either side of her.

"We're going to find them." I said. "All three of them."

"I know." She said. "We always do."

"Yeah, we do." I said, in agreement.

I suddenly became very aware that people were watching us.

I turned my head slowly to where I felt like someone was, and saw Nate was standing on the second floor with Hetty beside him. Both of them looking at us.

I looked back at Emily just in time to see her look back at me. Me knowing instantly she had followed my gaze.

"Are you going to be ok when she gets here?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." I said. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked, worry clear in her eyes.

"As long as I got you here, I'll be fine." I said, smiling at her.

Emily blushed a little as she smiled back at me.

"Listen….About last night," Emily began.

"Yeah?" I asked, as I smiled more, and moved closer to her.

"That wasn't just a one-time thing…Was it?" She asked, her voice sounding small with a hint of fear in it.

A tone I didn't hear from her too often, if at all.

But before I could answer, I heard:

"Callen,"

I looked toward the voice and saw Nell looking down at us from the second floor.

"We found her." Nell said.


	35. Chapter 35

(In the Bahamas)

(At the Beach)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"See her yet?" I heard Sam ask in my ear wig.

"Not yet." I said.

"Same." I heard Emily say.

Sam, Emily, and I were in the Bahamas.

After Nell told us everything we needed to know, we came straight here.

"Nell, are you sure she's here?" I asked, as I continued to walk around the beach. Looking around at the people.

"Her GPS location shows she's there and hasn't moved for at least five minutes." I heard Nell say. "You're actually closing in on her."

I continued to walk, and look around.

About a minute went by, when I heard:

"Who are you looking for?"

I stopped walking, as I realized who said that.

I turned around, and saw who we were looking for.

"No one anymore." I said. "I found her."

"You were looking for me?" She asked, a smile coming to her face.

"Don't flatter yourself." I said. "It's police business."

"But I haven't done anything." She said.

"I know." I said. "But you could be in danger, in fact more than likely you are _probably_ a target at the moment, so you have to come back with us to Los Angeles."

"Nothing I never dealt with before." She said.

"Tracy," I said. Knowing where this was going. "This isn't fun and games, believe me, I wouldn't be here right now unless there was a reason."

Tracy studied me for a moment, then she said:

"I can take care of myself, Callen."

"Right, so that's why you took several people _hostage_ in order to get my attention, because you _didn't_ need my help?" I asked.

"That was different." Tracy said.

"And so is this." I said.

"I think I will take my chances." She said.

Then, Tracy began to walk away.

"Tracy, I'm not kidding." I said, as I walked after her.

Suddenly, there was screams.

I looked toward the screams and saw a man had a gun pointed at us.

"Move!" I ordered Tracy as I pushed her forward.

Then, as we began to run, I heard gun shots, followed by more screams.

"Mr. Callen, what's going on?" I heard Hetty ask in my ear wig.

"There's a shotter." I said, as Tracy and I continued to run.

"Where are you, G.?" I heard Sam ask.

"Almost to the trees." I said, as I took my gun out. "Go, Tracy."

I then turned around and shot at the gun man twice.

My bullets hit him, but he didn't go down.

Then I heard another gun go off. The gun man suddenly stopped walking.

Then, the gun man fell to the ground.

I looked at the gun man and saw he was shot in the back of the head.

I then looked up and saw Emily lower her gun.

I lowered my gun.

"Thanks for that." I said.

"Anytime." Emily said. Then, she looked behind me.

"I should have known you would have been here." I heard Tracy say, sounding a little cold, behind me.

Emily looked away from Tracy and put her gun away.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At the Boatshed)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Are you going to tell me why I had to come here now?" Tracy asked.

Callen, Sam, Tracy, and I just got to the boatshed.

"Does it even have _anything _to do with me?" Tracy asked.

"No." I said.

"I wasn't asking you." Tracy said, as she looked at me. Her eyes filled with coldness.

"Do you remember Marcel?" Callen asked, gaining her attention.

"Your divorce lawyer." Tracy said. "What about him?"

"He's dead." Callen said. "And someone took my file."

"And you think since someone took your file, that the same person will go after me as some kind of gambling piece?" Tracy asked.

"Or a dead piece." Sam said.

"Hence the gun man at the beach." Callen said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Tracy asked:

"So you didn't come get me to take me up on that offer, huh?"

"No." Callen said.

Tracy nodded, then she looked at me.

"How are you involved with this?" Tracy asked.

I could tell she was trying to not sound like she hated me.

Which, I didn't know why.

I didn't do anything to make her hate me.

"Joint case." I said.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe." Tracy said.

"Agents Wilson, Anders, and Jenkins will stay here to keep you company." Callen said, his jaw clenched. "Will that be ok?"

"Sure." Tracy said.

"If you need any of us, just call." Sam said.

Tracy nodded.

Then, Callen, Sam, and I headed toward the exit.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Sam, Callen, and I entered Headquarters, and headed toward the bull pen.

"I'm going to talk to Hetty for a sec." Sam said.

"Ok." Callen said, as I nodded.

Sam then headed toward Hetty, as Callen and I entered the bull pen.

"Anything new?" Callen asked, Deeks and Kensi, who were sitting at their desk.

"Nothing yet." Deeks said, as Callen headed toward his desk, and I stood by the entrance.

"Nell and Eric are still looking." Kensi said. "And Gibbs called. He said that all they found was Adam's phone, but not Adam."

Which means he ditched it, I thought.

Callen sat down at his desk with a sigh.

"So, Tracy came here peacefully, huh?" Deeks asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Only after she was getting shot at, though."

"Of course." Kensi said.

Then it was silent.

An uncomfortable silence at that.

Out of the corners of my eyes, I could see Deeks and Kensi look from Callen to me and back again. Trying not to be obvious about it.

"Emily," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Nate was standing beside me.

"Can I talk to you?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, sure." I said.

Then, Nate and I walked out of the bull pen, and went over to the stairs.

"What's up?" I asked him.

Nate stared at me.

"For someone who wanted to _talk_, you're not really talking." I said.

"I don't think you should be working this case." Nate said.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's too personal for you." He said.

"How?" I asked.

"You don't need me to tell you how." Nate said. "You already know."

I stared at Nate.

"You're feelings are clouding your judgment." He said. "Especially when you killed the gun man in the back of the head."

"He was wearing a bullet proof vest." I said. "He was going to kill Callen, and probably Tracy. What did you want me to do? _Let_ him?!"

"No." Nate said. "But you could have shot him somewhere else."

"That wouldn't have stopped the bullet that would have been aimed at Callen." I said.

It was silent for a moment, then Nate began quietly:

"Your feeling's for Callen-"

"Aren't clouding my judgment." I said, cutting him off. "They never have before, and they won't start now."

"Emily, you don't know that." He said.

"Yes, I do." I said.

"You do know I can get you off this case, right?" Nate asked. "All I have to do, is talk to Hetty."

"If you feel that way, then go ahead." I said. "Talk to Hetty. But I'm not going to be the one who is going to explain them, especially Callen, why I'm not on the case anymore."

I then walked away from Nate, toward the stairs, and went up them toward OPS.


	36. Chapter 36

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I watched Emily and Nate walk away from the bull pen.

"So…" I heard Deeks begin slowly. "How are things?"

"Good. How are things with you?" I heard Kensi say.

"Good." I heard Deeks say. "What about you Callen?"

I looked at Deeks.

"Fine. Why?" I asked.

"Well, it's just Tracy's here now, and Emily is also here." Kensi began.

"What's your point?" I asked, confused.

"Well, your ex-wife and your current wife in the same room must be _really_ awkward." Deeks said.

"Actually, it's not." I said.

"Really?" Kensi and Deeks asked at the same time. Surprised.

"Yeah, really." I said.

"So, Tracy and Emily get along?" Kensi asked.

"They used to." I said.

"What does that mean?" Deeks asked.

"It means," I began, as I looked back over at Nate and Emily. "Tracy got jealous."

"Why?" I heard Kensi ask.

"Kensi, he's MARRIED to Emily now." I heard Deeks say. "I think she had good reason."

"No, actually, she _didn't_." I said looking at him. "Tracy had no reason to be jealous. I loved her."

"Then why was she jealous?" Kensi asked.

I looked back at Emily to see she was now heading upstairs.

"Because she was." I said.

Just then, Sam came into the bull pen.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I walked into OPS and instantly stopped walking.

In front of me was Eric and Nell.

And they just kissed right in front of me.

"Wow," I said.

Nell and Eric immediately separated from each other and looked at me.

"Sorry." I said.

"It-it-it's ok." Nell stuttered out, as her and Eric blushed.

"I could go." I said.

"No! Please, stay." Nell said.

"Ok." I said.

Then there was an awkward silence.

"So," I began. "…..How long?"

Eric and Nell hesitated.

"A week." Eric said.

"Maybe two." Nell said. "…Or three."

I laughed a little.

"Ok." I said.

"Please don't tell." Eric said, pleadingly. "We're not ready to-"

"I get it." I said. "I won't say a word."

Eric and Nell both let out a sigh in relief.

I gave them a soft smile.

"So, have you found anything?" I asked.

"No." Eric said, sounding irritated. "It's like they fell off the face of the earth."

"Despite how much I would love that statement to be true," I began. "I have a feeling that didn't happen. They're just good at hiding. But I'm sure they will turn up again at some point….No one can hide forever."

"I agree, Miss Taylor." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty stop beside me.

"They're going to have to come out of hiding eventually." Hetty said. "And when they do, we'll be ready."

I nodded.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen and I walked into his house. Callen closing the door behind us.

I leaned up against the wall. Not bothering to turn on the light.

"You ok?" Callen asked.

"I should be asking you that question." I said.

Callen walked over to me.

"I told you." He said, as he put his hands on my hips. " As long as I got you here, I'll be fine."

Then, Callen leaned in, and kissed me.

I kissed him back and I put my hands on his chest.

Callen then pulled away and grabbed my hand. Pulling me toward his bedroom.

And I let him.


	37. Chapter 37

(One Week Later)

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I was sitting at Callen's desk, reading the newspaper, when I suddenly smelt something. Making my stomach turn.

"What's that smell?" I asked, as I put the paper down on the desk.

Deeks and Sam looked at me.

"I don't smell anything." Deeks said.

"No there's definitely….Something." I said, as I began to feel nauseous.

Sam sniffed in Deeks direction.

"It's you." Sam said to him.

"No, it's not Deeks." I said. "He smells like ocean breeze."

"See? I smell like ocean breeze." Deeks said to Sam, smiling big. Then he looked back at me. "Can you repeat that when Kensi get's back? Just so she knows."

"What does it smell like?" Sam asked me.

"….Fish." I said.

"Oh! I think I know what she's talking about." Deeks said.

Deeks then picked up his bag, sat it down on his desk, and opened it. Putting his hand in the bag soon after.

Then, Deeks pulled out a sandwich bag with a sandwich in it.

And as soon as he did, the smell got stronger, and I felt sicker.

"Is it this?" Deeks asked, holding the sandwich bag up.

"Yes, what the hell is that?" I asked, as I covered my nose. Hoping it would stop the sick feeling I was having.

"It's tuna and cheese." Deeks said.

I closed my eyes and focused on breathing.

"Emily, you ok?" I heard Sam ask, concerned. "You don't look too good."

Feeling I was about to throw up any second, I quickly got up and ran toward the bathroom.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Meanwhile)

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Got you breakfast." I said, as I sat down a white bag on the table of the main room of the boatshed.

Tracy stood up from the couch and walked over to me.

"Are you alone?" Tracy asked. "Or is Emily waiting in the car?"

"Kensi is talking to the Agents who have been watching you." I said, ignoring her question.

"Well, isn't that a surprise." She said.

"Don't start." I said.

"Don't start what?" Tracy asked. "How you and Emily always seem to be attached at the hip?"

I rolled my eyes.

"What part of 'she's one of my closes friends' do you not understand?" I asked.

Tracy laughed half-heartedly.

"Sure." She said. "Whatever you say. Just know I know how you feel about her. Even when you _didn't_ know it yourself."

_"This is about her, isn't it?" Tracy said._

_"What?" I asked, confused._

_"Emily." She said. "She's the reason why you want the divorce."_

_"Oh my God, you GOT to be KIDDING me!" I said, my voice rising with every word. "Emily isn't the reason! You LEFT me on a _mission_. You didn't even think _twice_ about your _partner_. About _me_. About our _relationship_. YOU decided that the success of the mission and getting your ass out of there was _more_ important than _me_. THAT'S why I want a divorce."_

_"Why do you keep making excuses?" Tracy asked. "Why do you keep denying the obvious?...You're in love with her, Callen. Blindingly so…Right to the point where you don't even realize it."_

"Enjoy your breakfast." I said.

I then turned around and walked away.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Kensi and I walked to the bull pen and saw Deeks sitting at his desk.

"Hey, Deeks." Kensi said, as we headed toward our desk. "Where's Sam and Emily?"

"Yeah, about that…" I heard Deeks begin.

I stopped walking at the front of my desk, and turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Emily's in the bathroom." Deeks said. "…..And she's not feeling well."

"How _not well_ are you talking?" I asked, suddenly feeling concerned.

"Throwing up." Deeks said. "She got a whiff of my tuna and cheese sandwich and ran to the bathroom."

"Tuna and cheese? Really?" Kensi asked. Sounding disgusted.

"Hey! It's a good sandwich!" Deeks said defensively.

"Tuna and cheese?" I asked. "Are you sure you didn't add anything to it?"

"No." Deeks said. "It was just tuna, mixed with mayo, and cheese."

"Strange." I said, as the wheels in my head began to turn. "She loves tuna, mayo, and cheese…..Probably not _together_, but _individually_ she does."

"Sam's with her right now." Deeks said. "I would be with her too, but when I was there originally, apparently I brought the smell with me." Then, he muttered: "So much for smelling like ocean breeze."

Kensi gave him a confused look.

"I'll go check on her." I said.

Then, I headed out of the bull pen and in the direction of the bathrooms.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"You ok, Em?" I heard Sam ask from the other side of the door.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall.

I was sitting by the toilet in the bathroom.

"I'm ok." I said. My voice giving away that I wasn't. Much to my dismay.

A couple seconds went by in silence, then I heard the door to the bathroom open, and close.

"You don't look so well, Emily." I heard a voice say.

I instantly knew who it was.

"I've been worse, Hetty." I said, smiling a little, as I opened my eyes to look at her.

"I heard your sudden illness was the cause of a sandwich Mr. Deeks had." Hetty said. "Tuna and cheese."

I suddenly felt even more sick.

"Please don't say those words again." I said.

"Of course." She said. "I won't."

It was silent for a couple seconds, in which I had closed my eyes again.

"Miss Taylor," I heard Hetty begin. "There are only a couple reasons why you would feel the way you're feeling right now. One of those reasons is because you have a bug, and the sandwich triggered it."

"What's the other reason?" I asked.

When Hetty didn't answer, I opened my eyes and looked at her.

I then saw there was something in her hand.

I looked at what she was holding out to me.

And when I did, my eyes went wide.

"You can't be serious." I said, looking at her.

"I'm afraid I am." Hetty said.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door.

"Emily, it's me, are you ok?" I heard Callen ask from the other side of the door. His voice filled with concern.

"I will take care of Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "You, take this."

Hetty then placed the box on the ground beside me, and headed toward the door.

Once Hetty reached the door, she opened it enough for her to walk out of the bathroom, as she said:

"Mr. Callen,"

Then, Hetty closed the door.

I looked at the box beside me.

And when I did, I felt nauseous once again.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Once I reached the bathrooms, specifically the woman's bathroom, I saw Sam was standing outside the door.

"Deeks filled me in." I said, gaining Sam's attention. "How is she?"

"She claims she's ok, but her voice says otherwise." Sam said. "Hetty just went in."

I walked by him to the door and knocked on it.

"Emily, it's me, are you ok?" I asked, not even trying to hide how concerned I was.

A couple seconds went by, then suddenly, the door opened, revealing Hetty.

"Mr. Callen," Hetty said, as she came out of the bathroom, and immediately closed the door behind her before I could look inside.

"Hetty, is she ok?" I asked.

"She should be just fine, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "However, I highly recommend that the tuna and cheese sandwich is disposed of and out of the building before Miss Taylor rejoins us."

"On it." Sam said.

Sam, who suddenly looked like a man on a mission, headed toward the bull pen. Leaving me with Hetty.

"Is she REALLY ok?" I asked.

"Yes, she is." Hetty said. "Now, let's go and see Mr. Hanna dispose of that sandwich…I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting task to complete."


	38. Chapter 38

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I looked at my phone as I leaned up against the wall.

One more minute, I thought.

I took a deep breath and let it out. Calming myself a little.

But just a little, didn't help much.

I was so nervous and scared at the same time.

I wasn't sure what to think.

Suddenly, my phone beeped. Signaling that the time for waiting was over.

I glanced at the stick on the sink counter.

Great, I'm afraid of a stick, I thought. I wonder what Nate would think of that one?

I moved my hand toward the stick, but withdrew it just as quickly.

The stick was either going to leave me be, or change my life forever.

Do I really want to know which one it is?

Funny. I'm in dangerous situations all the time, and I'm not scared at all.

But when it comes to a pregnancy test, I'm scared to death.

Part of me wished Hetty was still here. She would have looked at the stick already and told me what was on it.

I have to look…..It's the only way I will know for sure.

I took another deep breath, grabbed the stick, and closed my eyes as I prepared myself for anything.

Then, I opened my eyes, and looked at the stick.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Deeks was sitting at his desk, with his arms across his chest, pouting.

"Deeks you can always make another one." Kensi said.

"Not at home I can't." Deek said. "I would have to go to the store."

"Then go to the store." I said.

"You make it sound simple." Deeks said. "But it's not. It's not that simple. I only go to the grocery stores on Friday's. And if not Friday's, then Saturday's. And when I do, I get all my food for the week. And now I can't make my tuna and cheese sandwich until Friday, because that's when I will be going to the store."

"You're starting to sound like my wife." Sam said.

"Well, we have shopped in the same grocery store a couple times." Deeks said. "She helped me pick out a pineapple."

"Why am I just hearing about this now?" Sam asked, sounding a little angry.

Deeks shrugged.

I laughed a little.

"Hey, Emily." Kensi said.

I looked to where Kensi was looking, and saw Emily had now joined us.

She looked a little pale, and I noticed she avoided looking at me.

"How are you feeling?" Kensi asked.

"Better." Emily said, smiling a little. "Do you know where Hetty is?"

"She went to the weapons room." Sam said.

"Em, is there something wrong?" I asked.

"Nope." Emily said, shaking her head a little. "Nothing's wrong."

Then she looked at me.

And when she did, I noticed she was putting up a mask.

"I'm going to go see Hetty now." Emily said.

Then, Emily headed toward the Weapons Room.

I watched her walk away.

"Something you want to share with us, G?" I heard Sam ask.

"She lied to me." I said, softly.

"What do you mean she lied to you?" I heard Deeks ask.

"I couldn't read her." I explained. "And she made sure of that….She only does that when she doesn't want me to know something."

"Maybe it's for a good reason?" Kenis asked, sounding unsure, as I looked at them once again.

"I'm sure it's nothing, G." Sam said, in a reassuring voice.

"I don't know, Sam." I began. "The last time I couldn't read her, she was….not herself for a couple weeks."

"Do you know why?" Kensi asked.

I shook my head.

"I asked, but she didn't tell me." I said. "She avoided my questions, and I never found out why….She never talked about it."

"And now you think this time may be the same way?" Deeks asked.

"I don't know." I said. "I hope not."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I walked into the weapons room and saw Hetty was talking to Nell.

A couple seconds went by, then Nell looked my way.

"Oh, hi Emily!" Nell said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." I said, smiling at little at her.

"Miss Jones, do you mind giving me and Miss Taylor some privacy?" Hetty asked.

Nell looked at her confused, then she looked at me, before giving a nod, and walking away. Leaving me with Hetty.

I walked over to Hetty.

"You should have seen Mr. Hanna take that sandwich away from Mr. Deeks." Hetty said. Then she laughed a little. "It was _quite_ a fight Mr. Deeks put up."

I smiled as I imagined Sam and Deeks fighting over a sandwich.

"But I don't think that's why you're here." Hetty said.

"You're right." I said. "It's not."

Hetty studied me for a moment, then she asked:

"What did it say?"

"It was negative." I said.

"So you're not?" Hetty asked.

"No. I'm not." I said. "It's just a bug that got triggered from the sandwich."

Hetty continued to study me.

"Then why are you looking as if you plan on hiding something from Mr. Callen?" She asked.

"Because I have an idea, that he won't approve of." I said.

"Ah." Hetty said. "And what is the plan for?"

"To get Midura and Adam out of hiding." I said.

Hetty nodded.

"And let me guess," She began. "It has _everything_ to do with you, and absolutely _nothing_ to do with Callen."

"Correct." I said.

"But he will be _involved_ somehow." Hetty said.

"Yes." I said.

Hetty thought about what I was telling her.

"I believe I know where you're going with this, Emily." Hetty said. "And if I'm correct….I think it may just work…..Mr. Callen, however, will _not_ like this."

"I know." I said. "I already thought this through every angle…I'm prepared."

"No one can be prepared to lose someone they love." She said. "Despite the cause, and no matter how much you try."

"Midura just wants an eye for an eye." I said. "Callen killed Sheela, and now all Midura wants to do is kill me, so that Callen will go through what he went through. And the plan I have will guarantee that Callen and I will make it out this thing alive…With the help of Nell, of course."

"Alright." Hetty said. "I just hope you know that Mr. Callen may _never_ forgive you."

"…I know." I said quietly. "But if he was in my place, he would do the same thing."

"….I can't argue with that." She said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Hetty said:

"Let's go brief Nell on your plan, and get the proper things we need in order. If we're going to do this, we need to do it flawlessly, and under the radar."


	39. Chapter 39

(Two Days Later)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Everything is all set for you, Miss Taylor." Hetty said.

Hetty and I were in her Office.

"Ok." I said. "Thank you, Hetty."

Hetty nodded.

"Nell has everything set up." She said. "….Are you ready to do your part?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"You don't have to do this, you know." Hetty said. "There is always a different way."

"I have to, Hetty." I said. "Like I said, Callen would do the same thing."

I could tell Hetty knew I was right, as she looked behind me.

"And we both know he wouldn't tell me, either." I said.

"He most certainly wouldn't." She said, in agreement. "They're going up, now….It's show time."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"That's like, the _sixth_ time Emily has talked to Hetty in the past two days." Kensi said.

Kensi, Sam, Deeks, and I were sitting at our desk in the bull pen, watching Hetty and Emily talk in her office.

"They're up to something." I said.

"Not necessarily." Sam said. "They could just be close."

"No." I said. "Emily has been acting a little distant….Something's going on, and Hetty knows about it."

"If that's true, how are we going to find out?" Deeks asked. "Hetty won't tell us."

"And knowing Emily, she won't say anything, either." I said.

"There could be one other person who knows." Sam said.

Sam, Deeks, Kensi, and I looked at each other. Then, we looked up toward OPS.

"Do you think?" Kensi asked.

"If anyone else knows, it would be her." I said.

Then, I got up and headed toward the stairs. Kensi, Sam, and Deeks got up and followed me.

Once we entered OPS, I saw Nell and Eric talking.

"Nell," I said.

Nell and Eric looked our way.

"We know." Sam said.

"Know what?" Nell asked slowly.

"We know you're hiding something." Kensi said.

"So, spill it." Deeks said.

Nell and Eric looked at each other.

And when they did, I noticed they both had a guilty look on their face.

"Ok, fine." Eric said, as they both looked back at us. Then, he took in a deep breath. "Nell and I are-"

"We're dating." Nell said quickly, cutting Eric off. "We've been dating for about a month now. We were going to tell you but….."

"We weren't sure when it would have been an appropriate time." Eric said, finishing Nell's sentence.

It was silent then, as we stared at Eric and Nell.

"By the looks on your faces, that wasn't why you guys came up here….was it?" Nell asked.

"It was actually pretty _far_ from it." Deeks said, sounding surprised.

"Oh…." Eric said.

"I think it's great though!" Kensi said, quickly.

"We all do." Sam said. "Congratulations. We knew it was going to happen, it was just a matter of when."

Eric and Nell smiled at each other.

"It is great and all, but, we know that you know, Nell." I said.

"Know what?" Nell asked.

"What Emily and Hetty are planning." I said. "We know they're planning something. And if anyone were to know what Hetty was up to at all, it would be you."

"So, what are they not telling us?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." Nell said.

"Nell," I said.

"I _really_ don't know." Nell said. "If they're up to something, I don't know anything about it. Hetty and Emily haven't said anything to me."

"So, you really don't know what they're up to?" Deeks asked.

"No." Nell said shaking her head. "Sorry."

I let what Nell say sink in, then, I turned around and walked out of OPS.

After I left OPS, I went down the stairs and headed toward Hetty's Office. Which I noticed, Emily wasn't there anymore.

But Hetty was still sitting at her desk.

I walked into Hetty's Office and stopped once I reached her desk.

Hetty, who was reading a paper, didn't look up.

"Yes, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.

"I know you and Emily are hiding something." I said. "And I want to know what."

"What makes you think we're hiding something, Mr. Callen?" She asked.

"How about we don't dance around it, and you just tell me what's going on." I said, a little irritated.

Hetty looked up at me.

"Nothing is going on, Mr. Callen." Hetty said.

"Yes, there is." I said.

"I may not be able to speak for Miss Taylor, but as for me, there isn't anything I'm hiding from you than what I normally do." She said.

I stared at Hetty and Hetty stared right back at me.

"Maybe you should go talk to Miss Taylor, if you're so sure there's something she's not telling you." Hetty said.

"You know everything, though." I said. "Why won't you tell me?"

"Not everything." She said. "….Just talk to your wife, Mr. Callen."

Then, Hetty looked back down at the paper on her desk.

"Callen," I heard someone call out to me.

I turned around and saw Eric was looking at me from the second floor.

"We got a case." Eric said.

I looked back at Hetty for a moment, then I walked over to the stairs, and headed up to OPS.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In Callen's Car)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

It was silent as Callen drove to the crime scene.

After we were briefed on the case, Callen had told Sam to go with Kensi and Deeks while me and him check out the crime scene.

I knew that was going to happen.

And in Callen's fashion, he was waiting for me to say something to him first.

But, since I knew he would become impatient like he normally does when he wants to know something that no one is telling him, I stayed silent, and enjoyed the scenery outside the window.

Once we reached the parking lot were the murder took place, Callen stopped and parked the car.

I went to open my door, when it was suddenly locked.

"Really?" I asked, looking at him. "You know I could just unlock it manually, right?"

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Callen looked at me and asked:

"What's going on, Em?"

And even though his voice didn't show it, on his face showed worry.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"If there's something you need to tell me….Tell me." He said. "You can tell me anything…Just tell me."

I can't, I thought. I can't tell you.

Not what I have planned, anyway.

I closed the distance between us and kissed him.

Then, I pulled away, and put my hand on his cheek, as I looked at him.

"There's nothing for me to tell you." I said. "….Not now, anyway."

"But you will tell me…Right?" Callen asked, as he put his hand over mine.

"Yeah." I said, nodding. "I will."

"Because me and you…..It's not just a one-time thing." He said. "…It never was…..Not to me."

"…..It never was to me, either." I said, barely above a whisper.

Callen leaned in, kissed me, and pulled away.

"Let's get to the crime scene." Callen said, softly.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Emily and I walked underneath the yellow police tape, and walked over to where the murder had occurred.

"Lot of blood." Emily said.

"I agree." I said, as I looked at the pavement that was covered in blood spots.

"Someone _definitely_ didn't like him." She said.

I looked around at the crowd.

And when I did, I saw two men, standing next to each other, with worried expressions on their faces.

"Hey," I said, looking back at Emily. "See those two?"

Emily glanced around the crowd.

"The two with the worried expressions?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." I said, as she looked back at me. "Think they could know something?"

"Anything's possible." She said.

"Let's ask." I said.

I then began to head toward where the two men were.

And when I did, they bolted.

I instantly ran after them. Emily following close behind.

We ran after them for a couple blocks.

Then, one went right, and the other continued to go straight.

"I got him." Emily said, as she followed the one who went right.

I continued to run after the one ahead of me.

After running in a straight line for about a minute, the suspect suddenly took a left.

A couple seconds later, I took the same left, and instantly stopped.

The man who I was running after, was now facing me, with a gun pointed at me.

"You don't want to do this." I began.

"Unarm yourself." The man said.

I grabbed my gun, and sat it down on the ground.

I then stood back up with my hands up.

"You really don't want to do this." I said.

"I think I do." The man said.

Then, suddenly, he fired the gun.

I braced myself for impact.

But when I was sure I was going to be shot, something pushed me out of the way. Making me fall onto the ground.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Emily fall to the ground.

No, I thought, as panic ran through me.

I scrambled to my feet and quickly went over to her.

"No." I whispered, as I looked her over quickly. Kneeling beside her as I did.

Then I looked at the man.

He was looking at us, shocked.

Then, he looked at me directly, and aimed the gun at me.

I picked up my gun quickly and shot him four times in the chest.

The man fell to the ground lifeless.

I dropped the gun, and looked at Emily.

"Emily," I said. "Emily, it's G., are you ok?"

Emily coughed, as I looked her over more thoroughly.

There was three gun shot wounds. Two in her abdomen, and one by her heart.

Blood was already soaking her shirt.

"Emily, stay with me." I said. "Ok? Stay with me."

I took my phone out with a shaky hand and dialed OPS.

As I waited for the phone to be answered, I put my other hand on the wound by her heart.

"Yeah?" I heard Eric say.

"Eric, I need an ambulance right now!" I said. "Emily got shot. I…..I need one _right now_, Eric."

Emily's eyes began to close.

"Emily, no!" I said. "Don't you _dare_ close your eyes. Look at me."

Emily's eyes continued to close.

"Em," I said.

I dropped my phone, and put my hand on her cheek.

"Em, open your eyes." I pleaded. "Please…._Please_ open them."


	40. Chapter 40

(One Week Later)

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was sitting on the couch in Nate's Office. Staring at the floor.

"Callen, talk to me." I heard Nate say softly. Breaking the long silence between us.

This is the fourth day in the past week Nate had dragged me into his office to try to get me to talk to him.

And each time, I didn't say anything.

I stayed silent.

You would think he would get the hint.

"Callen, you have to talk to someone." I heard Nate say. "If not me, then Sam….I know how difficult this must be for you."

I stayed silent for a couple more seconds, then I said:

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." I heard Nate say.

"I think I know how I _feel_, Nate." I hissed, as I finally looked at him.

"Callen, you lost someone close to you." Nate said. "Someone _extremely_ close to you. Someone you loved…You are not _fine_."

"No." I said. "She's still alive. I know it."

"Callen," He began.

"NO!" I shouted, as I stood up. "She's _not _dead! I would know! She. Isn't. Dead."

Nate looked at me with sympathy.

"She isn't…Dead." I said.

"…..ok." Nate said, softly.

Nate and I stared at each other for a couple seconds, then I walked over to the door, opened it, and left. Slamming the door shut behind me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Sam pulled up to my house, and stopped.

"Thanks, Sam." I said.

"G.," I heard Sam say, as I was about to open the door.

I looked at him.

"Yeah, Sam?" I asked.

"You do know if you need to talk, you can come to me, right?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine, Sam." I said. "And I know."

I then opened the car door, and got out of the car before Sam said anything else. Closing the door shortly after.

Once I entered my house, I walked into the kitchen, to the refigerator.

I then opened the refrigerator door, took out a bottle of scotch, and closed the door.

I walked back into the living room, toward the mantel over the fireplace.

Once I reached it, I opened the box I kept there, and saw the few things I kept inside it that meant something to me in some way.

I saw the Navy SEAL ring sitting right in the middle of the box.

I took it out and closed the box.

I then sat down on the floor, and looked at the ring.

You're not dead, I thought.

You're not dead.

I would know.

I would feel it.

You're not dead.

"I will find you." I whispered.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Next Day)

I was sitting at my desk doing paper work, when my phone on my desk started to ring.

I picked it up.

"Callen," I said.

"Mr. Callen," I heard Hetty's voice say. "Can you come to my office for a moment?"

"Sure." I said.

Then I hung up the phone, got up, and headed out of the bull pen toward Hetty's desk.

Once I reached Hetty's desk, Hetty said:

"Have a seat."

I sat down in the chair across from her.

A couple seconds went by, then Hetty said:

"I have talked to Mr. Getz and he told me about what you said to him yesterday."

I stayed silent.

"I'm concerned about you, Mr. Callen." Hetty said.

"I'm fine, Hetty." I said.

"I really don't think you are." She said. "Miss Taylor died, Mr. Callen. She's not coming back."

"She's not dead." I said.

Hetty looked at me sympathetically.

"She's NOT dead, Hetty." I said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then Hetty said:

"I think it would be best, if you took some time off to cope."

I shook my head.

"I told you, Hetty." I said. "I'm fine."

Then, I got up, and walked back to the bull pen.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Please tell me what Hetty told me isn't true." I heard Sam say.

I looked up from cleaning my gun, and looked at Sam, who was cleaning his gun at the table across from mine.

Sam and I were in the Weapons Room.

We had just gotten done shooting targets.

"That depends." I said. "What did she tell you?"

"That you're in denial." Sam said.

"About what?" I asked.

"Emily's death." He said.

I looked away from him and back down at my gun.

"I'm not in denial." I said quietly.

"So you didn't tell Hetty and Nate that she's not dead?" I heard Sam ask.

When I didn't answer, I heard Sam say:

"G., you have to face what happened sooner or later. Emily isn't here anymore. You know that. You saw her get shot. You saw the paramedics shock her when she flat lined on the way to the hospital. You were there when the doctor told us she died during surgery."

I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

"She's not dead." I said quietly.

"G.," I heard Sam begin.

"SHE'S NOT DEAD!" I shouted, as I opened my eyes and looked at Sam. "I would know if she was. And she's not…She's not."

Sam looked at me sympathetically, along with concern.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Deeks and Kensi were standing by the door way.

"What do you two want?" I snapped as I looked at them.

They, too, were giving me a sympathetic look.

"Nell and Eric have a case for us." Kensi said.

I looked back at my gun and put it together.

Then, I got up and headed out of the Weapons Room. Passing Kensi and Deeks as I did.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

_I woke up to the same sound of beeping I've been waking up to for the past couple days now._

_Damn was it annoying._

_I opened my eyes and looked at the chair by my hospital bed and saw Sam was no longer here._

_Which meant, he went home._

_I then looked over by the door way, and I swear, my heart skipped a beep because of who I saw standing there._

_"Hey," Emily said, softly._

_"Hey," I said, as I felt happy._

_Emily walked into the room, and sat down in the chair by my bed._

_"How long have you been here?" I asked._

_"Probably a minute." She said. "I'm so glad you're ok."_

_"I'm so glad you're here." I said._

_Emily took my hand in both of hers._

_"I will always be here, G." Emily said. "Always."_

I looked at my open Russian book, and tried to focus on the words.

I couldn't.

All I kept doing was picturing Emily's beautiful face.

Her beautiful eyes. Her beautiful smile.

_Everything_.

I closed the book and dropped it on the floor beside the chair I had in my house that I was currently sitting in.

Everything around me reminded me of her.

Every. Single. Thing.

_"Callen, you lost someone close to you." Nate said. "Someone _extremely_ close to you. Someone you loved…You are not _fine_."_

My eyes began to water.

_"G., you have to face what happened sooner or later." _I heard Sam's voice say in my head._ "Emily isn't here anymore. You know that. You saw her get shot. You saw the paramedics shock her when she flat lined on the way to the hospital. You were there when the doctor told us she died during surgery."_

She's not dead, I thought, as tears began to fall down my face.

She's not dead.

But despite how much I told myself that, the tears came anyway.

And I didn't stop them from coming.


	41. Chapter 41

(Somewhere)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up, and the first thing I was aware of, was pain.

I groaned.

"God," I said. My voice hoarse and weak.

Then, I coughed.

And when I did, I felt more pain.

I winced.

What the hell happened?

I searched my brain for that answer, but came up with nothing except more pain. This time, my head.

It felt as if I was drugged.

I opened my eyes, and immediately squinted from the sun being in my face.

I put my hands up until my eyes adjusted.

When I lowered them, I took in my surroundings.

I was outside.

I looked to my left, and saw nothing but open space.

I then looked to my right and saw nothing but open space once again.

I'm so confused, I thought.

I tried to sit up, but when I did, I felt even more pain.

"Ah!" I said, as I lied back down. Holding my stomach.

Then, using my hands, I pulled my shirt up a little, and put my hands where it hurt gently.

I felt a bandage where my scar was. And another bandage not too far away from it.

I then felt the third place that hurt. Which was by my heart.

I felt a bandage there, too.

What happened to me? I thought.

Why can't I remember?

Later, I thought. I need to figure out where I am.

I took a couple deep breaths, and slowly pushed myself up in a sitting position. Letting out pained noises as I did.

Once I was sitting up, I looked around me.

And that's when I realized there was no civilization around me.

But I did see a cactus not too far away from me.

"You've got to be kidding me." I mumbled.

I was in the desert.

This makes no sense.

How did I end up here?

More importantly, how am I going to get _out_ of here?

I don't even know which way to go, or where in the desert I am.

So many questions that I have no answers to.

I took a couple more deep breaths, and slowly stood up.

"Ah!" I said, as pain went through my body.

Once I was fully standing, I checked my pockets.

And just as I suspected, there was nothing in them.

Not even my phone.

"Damn it." I muttered.

I knew the phone wouldn't have worked in the desert anyway.

But that doesn't mean it wouldn't have been useful to me in some way.

Someone obviously brought me out here with the intention of me never getting back alive.

I sighed, and reached for the butterfly ring.

But when I reached for it, all I felt was my shirt.

"No." I whispered, as I put my hands where the ring should have been.

The butterfly ring, was gone.

Ok, don't panic, I thought. Once you figure out why you're out here, and who did it, and why there are bandages on you, you will find whoever did this, get the ring back, and kill them for even messing with you in the first place.

I just have to get to a town or something first.

That's my first goal.

…..But which way do I go?

I looked around me.

There wasn't anything specific telling me to go this way or that way.

Looks like I'm going blind, I thought.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At the Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"There's something off about you." I heard Tracy say, from where she was sitting on the couch. "What is it?"

"Leave me alone, Tracy." I said, as I got up from the chair, and headed toward the coffee machine.

I was in the boatshed with Tracy, as the Agents who have been watching her took their lunch break.

"Callen, I know something's wrong." I heard Tracy say. "Just tell me."

Once I reached the coffee machine, I grabbed a cup and poured coffee in it.

"Callen," I heard Tracy begin.

"You wouldn't care." I said, as I turned around to face her.

"That's not true." Tracy said. "You can tell me."

When I was silent, Tracy asked:

"Does it have to do with Emily?"

I looked down at my cup.

"What did she do?" I heard Tracy ask, a hint of happiness in her voice.

"She didn't 'do' anything." I said bitterly, as I looked at her.

"It must have been something." She said.

"She…." I began.

But I couldn't say it.

I _won't_ say it.

"She's not here." I said, quietly.

Suddenly, Tracy's facial expression of delight turned into one of confusion and worry as she began to study me.

Not like she was going to get anywhere.

I took a long drink from my cup, and sat it down on the counter.

"Callen, what happened?" Tracy asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Just then, I saw Agent's Wilson, Anders, and Jenkins walk into the main room of the boatshed.

"We good?" I asked them.

"Yeah." Agent Anders said.

"Alright." I said. "Sam or Kensi will come by later."

They gave me a nod, and I left the main room of the boatshed and headed toward the door.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Desert)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I'm so going to kill who did this.

I was still walking in the direction I picked to walk in.

It was hot.

_Really_, hot.

And I was walking slow, because when I was walking my normal pace, it was painful.

I could only imagine what Callen was thinking right now.

He's probably freaking out, I thought. He's probably searching for me at this very moment.

At least, I hope he's looking for me.

Not like it would matter though. He's not going to think of the _desert_ as one of the places I could possibly be.

But thinking that he might be looking for me right now, made me feel better.

As I continued to walk, I tried to remember why there were bandages on me.

And that's when I suddenly heard Callen's voice in my head say:

_"Em, open your eyes. Please…._Please_ open them."_

Open my eyes…..Why did he say that? What happened before that to make him say that?

Damn it! Why can't I _remember_?!

I was officially frustrated.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was walking toward the bull pen when I heard:

"Agent Callen."

I stopped walking, and turned around.

And when I did, I saw Granger standing there.

"Assistant Director," I said.

Granger walked closer to me.

"I just wanted to give you my condolences." Granger said, sounding like he meant it.

"For what?" I asked.

"For Emily's unexpected passing." He said.

"She's not dead." I said, quietly.

"Hetty told me you may say that." Granger said.

I looked away from him.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"To tell you to take some time off." I heard Granger say.

I looked at him.

"I'm fine." I said.

"With all due respect Agent Callen, you are not fine." Granger said. "You're far from it. Anyone can see that. And with someone's emotions on a loose lid like yours is right now, can hurt your team in one way or another."

"I said, I'm fine." I said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

I then turned around and walked away from Granger, heading toward the bull pen.

As I approached the bull pen, I saw Kensi, Sam, and Deeks were at their desk talking to each other.

But as soon as they saw me, they stopped.

Once I reached the bull pen, I looked at them with my eyebrow raised, as I stopped walking.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." Kensi said quickly.

I looked at Deeks.

"Nothing." Deeks said. Just as quickly as Kensi did.

I finally looked directly at Sam.

"Something came for you." Sam said.

I looked at him confused.

"From who?" I asked.

"Don't know." Sam said. "It has no return address. And it isn't addressed to one of your aliases."

"It's actually addressed to _me_?" I asked in disbelief.

Sam nodded.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"On your desk." Sam said. "Nell put it there."

I looked over at my desk and saw a tan envelope on my desk.

Curious, yet, confused, I walked over to my desk, picked up the envelope and examined it.

And just like what Sam said, there was no return address, and my real name was on the envelope.

"You're going to open it, right?" I heard Kensi ask.

I stared at the envelope.

Then, I opened it and looked inside.

And when I did, I saw something in there, I didn't expect to see.

I reached into the envelope, and pulled out a ring that was connected to a chain.

It was the silver butterfly ring.

I stared at the ring in disbelief.

"Callen, what's wrong?" I heard Kensi ask, sounding concerned.

I looked into the envelope once again and saw a piece of paper inside.

I took the paper out immediately, unfolded it, and read it to myself.

_How does it feel to have the one person you love be taken away from you?_

_Good luck trying to find her. If the heat didn't get to her first._

My heart stopped, as mixed emotions filled me up.

Emily wasn't dead.

She was alive. Very alive.

But Midura somehow got her, and now she's God knows where.

At least, that's what I interpreted from the short message.

"G.," I heard Sam say, sounding concerned. "What is it?"

I closed my hand around the butterfly ring, as anger now became the dominate emotion I was feeling.

I then ran out of the bull pen.

"G.!" I heard Sam call after me.

But I ignored him, as I went up the stairs toward OPS.

Once I entered OPS, I saw Eric on his computer.

"Eric," I said, gaining his attention. "I need you to hack into the hospital's security cameras and go back to the day Emily got shot."

"I-" Eric began.

"Do it!" I said.

Eric nodded, and began to type away on his computer. The stuff that came up on his computer also coming up on the big screen.

"G.," I heard a voice say, as I looked at the big screen. "What's going on?"

I recognized the voice as Sam's.

"She's not dead." I said, as I saw Eric bring up the hospital cameras.

"G.," I heard Sam say, gently. "Yes, she is."

"Why don't you believe me?!" I snapped angrily, as I looked at him.

"Because he's being realistic, Agent Callen." I heard a voice say.

I looked beyond Sam and saw Nate, Kensi, Deeks, Nell, Hetty, and Granger had joined me in OPS.

I looked back at Sam.

"She's alive." I said quietly to him. "I know it. You got to believe me."

Sam looked at me for a couple seconds, then he said:

"Ok. I believe you."

"Whoa," I heard Eric say suddenly.

"What is it, Eric?" I asked, looking at him.

"Watch this." Eric said.

I looked at the big screen, as Eric played the camera footage.

Someone was outside a hospital room talking to the doctor who told us Emily had died during surgery.

As soon as the doctor left, the person went inside the room.

"Is that…." I heard Deeks begin.

"Yeah." I said. "It's him."

About a minute or two later, the hospital room door opened once again, and out came the person, with Emily in her own clothes, siting in a wheel chair.

At that point the video stopped.

I then looked at them.

"I told you she wasn't dead." I said.


	42. Chapter 42

(Los Angeles)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"So you're telling me that Midura was in that hospital and no one _saw_ him?!" Granger said angrily.

"Owen," Hetty began.

"Not even _you_, Agent Callen." Granger said, ignoring Hetty.

"Excuse me if my _wife_ was in the hospital and I was worried out of my _mind_ about her well-being to pay attention to see if any of my old _enemies_ decided to stop by!" I shouted angrily at him.

Saying that, got me a surprised look from Nate.

But I didn't care at the moment.

"Eric, Nell, try to find out where they went." I said. "Sam and I are going to have a little chat with the doctor."

"I don't think so, Agent Callen." Granger said. "You're not going anywhere. In fact, I'm officially taking you off this case. Effective immediately."

I stared at him, as I began to get even more pissed.

"You're too close to this case." Granger said.

I looked at Hetty.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "I'm with the Assistant Director on this one."

"Agent Hanna will go with Agent Blye and Detective Deeks to question the doctor." Granger said. "You go home and let us do our job."

I looked back at Granger and stared at him.

Then, I shook my head, and headed toward the door.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Desert)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I sat down gently on the ground.

I couldn't walk anymore at the moment.

It was becoming too painful.

And the heat was slowly getting to me.

I lifted my shirt up enough to see the two bandages on my stomach and saw they were both bleeding.

"Prefect." I muttered bitterly, as I put my shirt back down.

Like I needed anything else to worry about.

I took a deep breath in slowly, and let it out just as slow.

And that's when I remembered what happened.

Someone was going to shoot Callen.

I pushed him out of the way, and got shot instead.

Three times at that.

Now the bandages and Callen telling me to open my eyes make sense, I thought.

But how did I end up in the desert?

Suddenly, I heard a gun shift into load mode.

"Get up." I heard a person say behind me, in a language I instantly recognized as Arabic.

Biting my lip, I slowly got to my feet again.

I then turned around slowly, and saw a group of men with guns all pointed at me.

Maybe the question I should be asking is _which_ desert am I in? I thought.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Los Angeles)

(At Callen's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was pacing back and forth in my living room.

I went home after leaving the NCIS Building.

I can't just stay here and do nothing when Emily's life is in danger.

Yet, that's what Granger _expects_ me to do.

Too bad I don't follow the rules to the T.

I put my hand on the butterfly ring that I put around my neck.

Where are you? I thought. Where did Midura put you?

As I continued to pace, I took the paper Midura sent me out of my pocket, and looked it over once again.

_How does it feel to have the one person you love be taken away from you?_

_Good luck trying to find her. If the heat didn't get to her first._

I re-read it a couple more times.

If the _heat _didn't get to her first?

What the hell is that suppose to mean?

I then stopped walking.

Heat.

She's somewhere hot.

Ok, I thought. If I were to dump someone somewhere, where there was a lot of hot weather, where would I put them?

Well, it definitely wouldn't be somewhere populated. So the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cancun, St. Lucia, among others are _definitely_ not places I would go.

And knowing Midura, he wouldn't go there either.

I rubbed the ring with my thumb as I thought about the places where Emily could be.

"Good luck trying to find her." I said out loud, as the wheels in my head kept turning. "If the heat didn't get to her first…Trying to find her…Heat….."

Then, it clicked.

I let go of the ring, grabbed my phone out of my pocket, and called Eric.

It rang twice before Eric answered.

"Yeah?" I heard Eric say.

"Eric, it's me." I said.

"Oh, hey, Sam!" Eric said, a little nervously. "What's up?"

"You're not alone?" I asked.

"Hetty and Granger are wondering why it's taking you so long to get to the hospital." He said. Confirming that he was, indeed, not alone.

"I need you to meet me in the boatshed." I said. "Unnoticed. Bring your computer with you."

"Alright." Eric said.

"See you in ten." I said.

Then I hung up the phone, headed toward the door, and left. Closing the door behind me.


	43. Chapter 43

(Los Angeles)

(At The Boatshed)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I walked into the boatshed and was immediately greeted by Tracy and Eric.

"Callen, what's going on?" Tracy asked.

"None of your business." I said. Then I looked at Eric. "Anyone follow you?"

"No." Eric said.

I then opened the interrogation room door.

"In here." I said.

Eric walked over to me and went inside.

I followed him in, and went inside. Closing the door shortly after.

"Camera?" I asked, as Eric sat his laptop down on the table.

"Disabled." Eric said. "So is the wiretap. I figured you didn't want anyone listening in or watching."

"Good." I said, as Eric sat his laptop up. "Any updates since I left?"

Eric hesitated.

"Eric, it's just me and you." I said. "Hetty won't find out."

Eric hesitated a little more, then he looked at me and said:

"We found a cell phone signal coming from Emily's phone in an apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles. Granger sent a team to go check it out."

"What about the doctor?" I asked.

"Sam, Kensi, and Deeks are currently stuck in traffic." He said. "But they should be at the hospital soon."

Something then caught Eric's eye.

"Is that a ring?" Eric asked, pointing at what he was seeing.

I looked down and saw he was looking at the silver butterfly ring.

"Yes." I said, looking back at him. "Now, let's do what I want you to do before Hetty realizes you're gone."

"Ok." Eric said, as he turned to his computer. Then he sat down in the chair. "What do you need?"

"I want you to look over any desert areas." I said, as I walked over to him and looked over his shoulder.

"Desert, as in deserted?" He asked.

"No. I mean, _deserts_." I said.

Eric looked at me confused.

"Just do it." I said.

"Ok." He said, looking back at his computer.

Eric did some typing. Soon after, the deserts around the world showed up on the computer screen.

"Ok. Now what?" Eric asked, as I looked over the deserts.

Knowing Midura, he wouldn't make it easy for me to get Emily back.

So, the deserts in the United States I knew I could cross off the list. Along with South America.

"Can you somehow know if someone is in the desert?" I asked.

"I can try." He said, as he began to type away. "Which desert exactly?"

"Try the Sahara." I said.

Eric did his thing on the keyboard and the Sahara Desert showed up. Along with it actually showing the desert itself.

"Just don't ask how I did that." Eric said.

"No problem there." I said. "Can you do that for all of the deserts?"

"Yeah." He said.

"Then can you do it to the Arabic Desert and the Rub Al Khali Desert?" I asked.

"Sure." Eric said, as he began to type away again. "Can I ask why we're looking at deserts?"

"Because it's a hobby of mine." I said, avoiding the question as the two deserts I requested came up on the screen alongside the Sahara Desert.

"Now what?" He asked.

I studied the three deserts.

If I was Midura, which desert would I put someone in? I mentally asked myself.

Well, if I really hated the person, I would put them in a place where there wasn't much moisture.

Which left me with the Sahara Desert, Namib Desert, Takla Makan Desert, and the Rub Al Khali Desert.

However, if I really wanted the person to suffer, I would put them in a place where there would be a chance for them to get injured or killed somehow. Probably at the hands of terrorist.

And that's when I knew which desert Midura put Emily in.

"Callen?" I heard Eric ask, as I continued to stare intently at the computer screen.

I looked at Eric.

"This stays between us." I said. "You hear me?"

"Yeah, of course." Eric said.

"You better head back." I said.

"That's it?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said. "You can take your computer, too."

Eric nodded slowly.

"Ok." Eric said, sounding confused.

Then, Eric closed his computer and got up.

Then, he grabbed all of his stuff and headed toward the door.

Once we were out of the interrogation room, Eric headed toward the exit.

"What was that about?" I heard Tracy ask, once Eric was gone.

"Again," I said, as I looked at her. "It's none of your business."

"I know that look." Tracy said, as she stood up. "You're going to do something no one is going to approve of."

"So what if I am?" I asked, shrugging. "Does it matter?"

"I want in." She said.

"No." I said. "You need to stay in protective custody."

"If you don't take me with you, I will get your boss' attention and tell them you're up to something you shouldn't be." Tracy threatened.

"You're bluffing." I said.

"Try me." She said, as she smiled smuggly.

I stared at her, and she stared right back at me.

I sighed.

"Fine." I said. "Let's go. We don't have time to waste."

I then headed toward the door. Tracy jogging to catch up to me.

"So, what's this about?" I heard Tracy ask, as we headed toward my car. "Where are we going?"

"Yemen." I said.

"Yemen?" I heard Tracy ask, surprised. "Wow. Why there?"

"Because that's where Emily is." I said.

"Whoa, wait a minute." I heard Tracy say, as we reached the car.

I turned and looked at her.

"Why is she in Yemen?" Tracy asked.

"Long story." I said. "And she's not in Yemen per-say."

Tracy gave me a look.

"Look, I don't have time to explain this to you right now." I said. "So either you come with me and search for her, or you can stay here. But either way, I have to go, and right now, you're wasting my time."

I then headed toward the driver side door, opened it, and got inside. Closing the door shortly after.

I put my key in the ignition and started the car up.

And when I did, I heard a door open, then close.

"I'll help you." I heard Tracy say.

I looked at her and saw she was in the passenger seat.

"Emily may not be my favorite person in the world, but, there's obviously something she has that I don't." Tracy said. "And if I don't help you find her….I will regret it."

A couple seconds went by, then I looked in front of me and began to drive to the airport.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Desert)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I heard Annie whisper. "I mean, shouldn't we re-think this?"_

_"What's to re-think?" I whispered, looking at her._

_"Well, let's see, there are two of us and about fifty of them." Annie whispered._

_"There aren't _fifty_ of them." I whispered. "Don't exaggerate. It's more like twenty."_

_"Same difference." She whispered. "We're still doomed."_

_"We're not doomed." I whispered. "Just out numbered."_

_"Your Mom wouldn't approve of this." Annie whispered._

_"That's why we're sneaking _out_ of the house." I whispered._

_"But you're suppose to be spending your vacation with your parents." She whispered._

_"And I am." I whispered. "But I need to know what my Dad is up to. He's been acting different. I need to know what's going on."_

_"And your solution to this was to call me, have me fly out here, and help you spy on your Dad when you're very capable of doing it yourself?" Annie whispered. "Why didn't you just call Callen?"_

_"Because he's technically not my partner." I whispered. "You are. And I need my partner for this. Plus, you weren't that far away and he's never met my parents. You have. Which means, no questions for me."_

_"Fine, I'll grant you that." She whispered. "But that doesn't tell me how we're going to get passed your Mom and her friends in the living room who are blocking the front door."_

_"Oh, Annie." I whispered. "Annie, Annie, Annie. Do you really think I would go through all this trouble without planning ahead? Don't worry. I have a plan."_

"Keep moving." I heard one of the men behind me say in Arabic.

I continued to walk as quick as I could, without hurting myself, as two of the men in front of me, one of them holding the rope that they used to tie my hands together, led me somewhere.

The heat was definitely getting to me now.

I wasn't feeling well at all.

I felt dizzy.

I continued to walk for a couple more minutes.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, I was consumed in darkness.


	44. Chapter 44

(Yemen)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Sam Hanna," I heard Sam say.

"Sam, it's me." I said.

"G., where the hell are you?" Sam asked, his voice suddenly low.

Tracy and I were outside the airport in Yemen.

I turned my phone on to call Sam to let him know not to worry.

"That's not important." I said. "Listen, I have Tracy. We're going to find Emily. I know where she is."

"If you know where she is, why didn't you come to me?" He asked. "I could have gone with you."

"I know Big Guy." I said. "But you were busy and Tracy threatened me."

"Tell me where you are, and I will come to you." Sam said.

"Can't do that." I said. "But if I'm not back in a couple days, tell Eric to tell you about what I had him look up."

"Granger's pissed." He said. "He knows you're gone."

"Well, he shouldn't have taken me off the case, now, should he?" I asked. "He should have known I wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing."

"I know." Sam said. "Be careful, G."

"I will." I said.

Then I hung up the phone.

"So," I heard Tracy begin, as I shut my phone off, and took the battery out of my phone. "Where exactly are we going?"

"To the desert." I said.

"The _what_?!" I heard Tracy say. "No. I don't think so."

"That's where she is." I said, looking up at her, as I put my phone and the battery in my pocket.

"Why is she in the desert?" Tracy asked. "What did she do, go on a suicide mission?"

"It wasn't exactly her choice." I said. "Now let's go. We're running out of time."

I then began to walk in the direction of the Rub Al Khali Desert. Tracy, reluctantly, followed.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Where is that doctor?!" I heard someone say in Arabic.

The voice sounded like it was right above me.

"He is on his way, Ma'am." I heard a voice a little farther away say in Arabic.

"Callen," I said, unexpectedly. My voice sounding weak to my ears.

"Hey, it's ok." I heard the person say gently, in English.

"Callen," I said again, before wincing in pain.

"Go wait for the doctor." I heard the person say in Arabic. "And when he gets here, bring him straight to this room."

"Yes, Ma'am." I heard the other voice say.

"Chad!" I heard the person call out, in English.

"Yes?" I heard a different voice say. English also.

"I want you to take a couple people and look for a man named Callen." I heard the person say. "He has a buzz cut, with blue eyes, scruffy, laid back yet on alert body language…..Basically, you will know him if you saw him. Once you find him, bring him here."

"And if he doesn't come willingly?" I heard the person named Chad ask.

"Just mention the name Emily and he will come." I heard the person say, positively.

"Ok." I heard Chad say, as I slowly began to open my eyes.

"Emily?" I heard the voice say gently.

I looked toward the voice as my eyes adjusted.

"Everything's going to be ok." The person said.

Once my eyes got into focus, I saw who was talking to me.

"Annie?" I said.

Annie smiled a little at me.

"Yeah, it's me." Annie said.

I then looked around me.

"Don't worry." Annie said, gaining my attention. "You're in a safe location."

"What happened?" I asked.

"You passed out." She said. "From the heat. My colleagues rescued you from a group we've been tracking for a while now."

"Oh." I said.

"How did you end up in the desert?" Annie asked.

"I don't know." I said.

"Do you know where Callen is?" She asked. "Was he with you?"

"No." I said. "As far as I know of, he's not here."

"Well, I have people looking for him anyway." Annie said. "….God, Em, what did you get yourself into?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I asked.

Annie smiled softly.

"It's good to see you." She said. "Despite the circumstances."

"Yeah." I said. "It's been too long."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Tracy and I were walking toward the desert in silence, until she asked:

"What's with the ring?"

"What ring?" I asked.

"The one around your neck." Tracy said.

_Then, I pulled away from Emily's neck and began to kiss her stomach, including where her scar was from having her own bullets removed from the day I met her._

_I then began to kiss my way back to her lips, but stopped when my lips met something that wasn't her skin._

_I pulled away, and looked at what my lips met._

_It was a ring. _

_I picked it up. Studying it._

_And when I did, I realized it was the silver butterfly ring._

_Her wedding ring._

_I was surprised she still had it._

_I then remembered what I had planned for the ring. How I was going to give it to the love of my life._

_The love of my life._

_Suddenly, Emily put her hand over mine._

"It's just a ring." I said, dismissing her question.

"I've never seen it before." Tracy said.

"I know." I said. "You divorced me before I could give it to you…..But thanks for that. It would have been a mistake, and you would have taken it from me anyway. Just like how you took Buddy."

"It's not my fault the judge ruled in my favor." She said.

"I find that debatable." I said.

"Callen," Tracy began.

"Just keep a look out for Emily." I said.

We walked in silence for a couple minutes, until I heard Tracy say:

"People watching us. Your nine o'clock."

I casually looked toward my left, and saw four people, two men and two women, who definitely didn't belong here.

I looked forward.

"Follow me." I said.

I then headed toward the space between two buildings up ahead. Tracy followed me.

Once we were in the alley, I pulled my gun out, and aimed it toward the entrance.

A couple minutes went by, then the four people who I saw, came into the alley and immediately stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing me with the gun.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Look, we don't want any trouble." One of the men said. "We just need to know, if you're Callen."

"That depends." I said. "Who are you?"

"I'm CIA Special Agent Chad Bennet." The man who was talking said. "And I need you and your friend to come with us."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because someone named Emily has been asking for you." Chad said.

When Chad said that, I slowly lowered my gun. Chad letting out a breath he was holding.

"Emily." I said. "You know where she is?"

"Better." Chad said. "I can take you right to her."

"Then why are we still standing here?" I asked.


	45. Chapter 45

(Yemen)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Tracy and I followed Chad as he and his friends led us to where Emily was suppose to be.

After walking for about twenty to twenty- five minutes, we arrived at an abandoned hotel.

Once inside the hotel, Chad and his friends led us to an elevator.

We walked inside, and Chad pressed the button for floor three.

A couple seconds went by, then the elevator stopped, dinged, and opened its doors to reveal a long hallway with people standing by the doors talking.

Chad walked out of the elevator and Tracy and I followed him.

Chad walked until he reached the fifth door on the left, and knocked on it three times.

Then, Chad opened the door, walking inside as he did.

Tracy and I went inside the room soon after.

As I entered the room, I noticed it was a two room apartment. The living room connecting to the kitchen.

"Annie," Chad called out.

A couple seconds went by, then the door opened, and a woman came out of the second room. Closing the door behind her.

And when she looked my way I instantly knew who it was.

"Annie," I said, smiling a little.

"Callen," Annie said, smiling back, as she walked over to me.

Once she reached me, we hugged.

Annie was one of Emily's partners I liked.

She became Emily's partner soon after Rachael disappeared and had remained her partner for a year until the DEA decided to mix everyone's partners up.

"It's been years." I said, as we pulled away.

"I know." Annie said.

"Where's Emily?" I asked.

"She's in the other room." Annie said. "The doctor is looking at her now."

"Is she ok?" I asked, worried.

"Some of her stitches came undone." Annie said. "And she passed out from the heat. But the doctor said she should be fine."

I let out a sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Annie." I said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Why is he pulling in here?" Annie asked, as my Dad pulled into what looked like an abandoned warehouse._

_"I don't know." I said, as I parked far enough away from the warehouse on the other side of the road._

_I then opened the door, and got out of the car. Annie did the same._

_"Are you sure we should be spying on your Dad?" I heard Annie ask, as we made our way toward the warehouse. "I mean, what if it's just a surprise he's planning for your Mom's birthday?" _

_"Her birthday was three months ago." I said. _

_"So it could be a belated birthday surprise." I heard Annie say._

_"No." I said shaking my head. "He would have told me. That I'm sure of."_

I heard the door open a couple seconds after the doctor left.

I opened my eyes and looked toward the door.

And when I did, I saw Callen.

"G.?" I said, not believing he was standing there.

"Yeah." Callen said, smiling a little, as he closed the door and walked over to me.

Once Callen reached me, he sat down on the side of the bed beside me.

"Why are you here?" I asked, confused.

"I figured out where you were." He said. Then, he took my hand. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember I got shot and woke up in a desert." I said. "I don't remember anything in between."

"Midura stopped by your hospital room." Callen said. "He sneaked you out somehow."

I thought about what he said.

"And he put me in the desert?" I asked.

Callen nodded.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked.

"In a way, Midura gave me a hint to everything I needed." He said.

"That will be an interesting story to tell me." I said.

He chuckled.

"Where's Sam?" I asked.

"Sam, is back in Los Angeles." Callen said.

"You didn't bring him with you?" I asked.

"No." He said. "He was busy with a lead….Tracy's here."

"I thought she was suppose to be in protective custody?" I asked.

"She was." Callen said. "But she threatened to tell Hetty and Granger I was up to something I shouldn't be if I didn't take her."

"Of course." I said. "You do realize you're going to be in trouble for this, right?"

"I already am." He said. "But I don't care. I found you. And that's all that matters."

I squeezed his hand.

"The doctor said I could take you home tomorrow." Callen said. "But after I do, you need to stay in bed for a good month give or take. Or at least, until the stitches are taken out. But even then you still have to take it easy."

"Yes, Mom." I said teasingly.

Callen gave me a serious look. But it ended up breaking when he began to smile, too.

I then looked Callen over and noticed he looked like he hasn't slept at all in days.

"You look tired." I said.

"I'm trying not to think about it." He said.

I then looked at what was around his neck.

"Is that?" I asked.

Callen looked where I was looking.

"Yeah, it is." Callen said, looking back up at me. "Midura sent it to me….I've been keeping it safe ever since."

I smiled a little at him.

Then, I made a move to sit up, but immediately wince in pain, as I went back to lying down.

Callen shook his head.

Then, he leaned in, kissed me, and pulled away a little.

"Don't try to do that again." He said.

I laughed a little.

"Ok." I said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Next Day)

(Los Angeles)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Agent Callen, give me one good reason why I shouldn't suspend you _indefinitely_." Granger said, angrily.

I was in Hetty's Office with Assistant Director Granger.

Emily, Tracy, and I got home about a couple hours ago.

And as soon as I got Emily home and lying down on the floor - Well, on my rollout bed - I dropped Tracy off at the boatshed back under protective custody, and came to headquarters, where, Granger was already waiting for me outside the building.

"You were taken off the case." Granger continued. "I took you off of it. I told you to go home, and let your team do their job. But what do you do? You take a person out of _protective custody_, and go half way around the world to get Agent Taylor. Disobeying a direct order."

I stayed silent.

"Do you have _anything_ to say for yourself and your actions?" Granger asked.

I was about to say something when I heard:

"Like you didn't do the same, Owen."

Granger and I looked toward the voice and saw Hetty had joined us.

"That was different, Henrietta." Granger said.

"I don't think so." Hetty said. "If I recall correctly, and I _do_, you were in the same situation Mr. Callen was in, when Joanna got kidnapped."

I looked at Granger.

And when I did, I could tell he didn't like that Hetty was bringing this up.

"You, too, were taken off the case because of how _close_ you two were." Hetty continued. "Yet, you disobeyed and went to go get her anyway."

"I didn't take someone out of protective custody to come with me." Granger said.

"No." Hetty said. "You took an ex-agent. Just like what Mr. Callen did."

Granger narrowed his eyes at her.

"And just like you, Mr. Callen did what he thought was necessary, to get back the one he loves." Hetty said. "And when it comes down to it, even _you_ can't blame him for that."

Granger clinched his jaw in anger.

Then, he looked at me and said:

"Welcome back."

Then, Granger walked away.

I looked at Hetty.

"No need to thank me." Hetty said, as she walked by me and headed toward her desk. "However, despite what I said, I still think it was very foolish, and very reckless for you to have done what you did, Mr. Callen." Hetty then turned to look at me.

"I couldn't just sit and wait, Hetty." I said.

Hetty nodded.

"I know, Mr. Callen." She said. "I would have done the same thing….But it doesn't mean it's not foolish and reckless."

I smiled a little.

"How is she?" Hetty asked.

"She's good." I said.

"Good." She said. "Now, go take care of her."

I looked at her confused.

"I'm giving you the day off, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "Now, go take care of your wife. But make sure you come back tomorrow."

"I will." I said. "Thank you, Hetty."

I then turned around, and walked away.


	46. Chapter 46

(Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I woke up to the noise of something sliding on the floor.

I opened my eyes and looked toward the noise.

Coming into Callen's bedroom, was a mattress.

The mattress was half way through the door.

"Damn it." I heard a voice say.

I instantly recognized the voice as Callen's.

"I told you to let me go in there first." I heard another voice say.

I instantly recognized the second voice as Sam's.

"Don't start." I heard Callen say.

"Just saying," I heard Sam say. "It would have been easier."

"I said, don't start." I heard Callen say.

"How did you even get this _stuck_?" I heard Sam say.

"Well, excuse me, if I'm not an _expert_ at putting furniture in a house." I heard Callen say.

"No doubt there." I heard Sam say. "Move over."

A couple seconds went by, then the mattress came into the room fully.

"See?" I heard Sam say. "Not that hard."

Then, I saw Sam walk into the room. Callen following him.

"Just help me lay it down." Callen said, sounding a little irritated.

I watched Sam and Callen as they laid the mattress down on the floor with a thud.

"Sh!" Callen said quietly to Sam. "I don't want Emily to wake up. She needs her rest."

"Too late." I said.

Callen and Sam looked at me.

"What's with the mattress?" I asked.

"G. decided to get one." Sam said. "He wanted you to be as comfortable as possible while you recovered."

Callen looked at Sam with a 'Stop talking' look.

"He also got it because he's pretty sure the floor won't help you." Sam said.

"This coming from the guy who said the floor was the best thing for anyone?" I asked, as I looked at Callen.

"I'm thinking of you." Callen said, looking at me. "And all because I sleep on the floor, doesn't mean you have to."

"That's very sweet of you." I said.

Callen smiled a little.

"Yeah, well," Callen began. "….Anyway, thanks for helping me with the mattress, Sam."

"No problem, G." Sam said. "Good to see you, Em."

"Same." I said.

"See you two later." Sam said, as he began to head toward the door.

"Bye, Sam." Callen said.

Then, Sam left.

About a minute went by, then Callen asked:

"Wanna try out the mattress?"

"I was told no physical activity." I said.

Callen laughed a little.

"Please don't joke about that." Callen said. "It's hard enough to not do what I want to do with you as it is."

I blushed.

Callen walked over to me, squatted down, and picked me up gently. Standing up soon after.

Then, Callen walked over to the mattress, and laid me down on it.

"Is it too stiff?" Callen asked, as he walked over to the other side of the mattress.

"No." I said. "It's a good mattress."

Callen smiled proudly, and lied down on the mattress beside me.

"I thought so." He said. Then he looked at me. "Sam had his doubts."

"Uh huh." I said. "Sure."

"You don't believe me?" Callen asked.

"Sorry if I'm a little, _unconvinced_ it was _Sam_ who had his doubts about the mattress." I said.

"…Ok, you got me." He said. "The roles were reversed."

"I knew it." I said.

"Seriously, though," Callen said, as he turned on his side. "This mattress is ok?"

"Yeah." I said.

"Good." He said.

Then, Callen kissed me on the forehead, and looked at me.

"I'll go get lunch." Callen said. "Want anything specific?"

"No." I said. "You can surprise me."

"Ok." He said, smiling.

Then, Callen got off the mattress, and left the room.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Two Months Later)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Something wrong?" I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Kensi had entered the bull pen.

"Nothing, why?" I asked.

"It just looked like you were preoccupied with something." Kensi said, as she sat down at her desk. "Anything you want to talk about?"

I looked toward the second floor and saw Emily was talking to Nell.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kensi follow my gaze.

"Does it involve Emily?" I heard Kensi ask.

I looked at Kensi.

"I think we would both be…_uncomfortable_ if I talked about it with you." I said, honestly.

"Try me." She said. Turning her chair to face me. "I'm all ears."

_I pushed Emily up against the wall as I deepened the kiss. Earning a moan from her._

_As we continued to kiss, Emily ran her hands up and down my shirt._

_I removed my lips from hers, and began to kiss her neck._

_I then moved my hand under her shirt._

_And when I did, Emily pushed me away._

_"Em, what's wrong?" I asked, softly, as I looked her over._

_She looked distraught._

_"Nothing." Emily said. "Um, I'm just, tired. That's all. I'm sorry."_

_"It's ok." I said. "We can go to bed if you want."_

_"Ok." She said._

_Then, Emily walked over to the mattress._

"…..I REALLY don't think you want to know." I said.

"Callen, I'm a girl. A woman." Kensi said. "Just like Emily. If anyone can help you out, it's me. Now, tell me what's going on."

I hesitated a little, then I looked around us, and moved my chair closer to Kensi.

"Ok." I whispered to her. "Emily had her stitches out about a month and a half ago. The doctor said she can do anything except work."

"Ok, what's the problem then?" She whispered.

"I…..We…." I whispered. "We…We were _kissing_, and…When I moved my hand up her shirt, she….._pushed_ me away…..Why did she do that?"

"Maybe she was tired?" Kensi whispered.

I shook my head.

"She used that as an excuse, but I know that wasn't true." I whispered.

"Was this the first time you tried this?" She whispered.

"No." I said. "It happened before."

"Since the stitches have been taken out or before?" Kensi whispered.

"Since the stitches have been taken out." I whispered.

Kensi thought about what I said.

"Did anything happen before what happened?" She whispered.

"Kinda." I whispered.

A smile came to Kensi's face.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Callen." Kensi said. "Just give her time."

I nodded.

"Ok." I said. "I will."


	47. Chapter 47

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I was sitting on a bench on the second landing looking at a tablet, scanning through some things Nell insisted I read, when I heard:

"Hey, Emily."

I glanced up and saw Nate was walking toward me.

"Hey," I said, smiling at him.

"How are things?" Nate asked, once he reached me, and sat down on the bench beside me.

"Fine." I said.

"Recovery going well?" He asked.

"Yep." I said nodding.

"That's good." Nate said. "I'm glad you're back."

"Not _fully_ back, but, thank you." I said.

Nate studied me for a moment, then he asked:

"How have you been sleeping?"

"Fine." I said.

"But not great." Nate said.

"Enough." I said.

"But not like you used to." He said.

I looked away from him and back down at the tablet.

"Is it nightmares?" I heard Nate ask quietly.

"Why are you asking me these questions?" I asked, looking back at him.

"Hetty asked me to check in on you." Nate said. "Make sure you're doing ok."

"I'm fine." I said.

"Emily, you should know better than to lie to a psychologist." He said. "….Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

I hesitated a little.

"I have been…..having nightmares." I admitted quietly. "Callen doesn't know…..He's never in the room when I wake up."

Nate nodded slowly.

"What are the nightmares about?" Nate asked gently.

"…I rather not say." I whispered softly, looking away from him, as I vividly remembered them.

It was silent for a moment, then I heard Nate ask:

"Is it always the same dream?"

"No." I said. "It's a couple different ones."

"Do you know why you're having them?" I heard Nate ask.

I shook my head.

"Are they affecting anything you would normally do?" I heard Nate ask.

I shook my head.

"I don't think so." I said, looking at him.

"But there is something _stopping_ you from doing something." Nate said. "What is it?"

I hesitated a little, then I said quietly:

"My scars….I'm scared of him seeing them."

"Him, as in, Callen?" I heard Nate ask. "Why?"

"Because they're new." I said. "And….."

"You feel insecure." I heard Nate finish for me.

I nodded.

"You shouldn't feel insecure about them." I heard Nate say.

When I didn't say anything, I heard Nate say:

"You should talk to Callen. Tell him how you feel. I'm sure he will understand."

"Maybe." I said.

"You should also tell him about the nightmares." I heard Nate say. "Talk to him about them. Having him be there for you, might make you feel better."

I thought about what Nate said, and sighed.

No way in _hell_ was I telling Callen that I was having nightmares.

Especially what the nightmares were about.

Yeah, no. I'll keep that to myself.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Later)

I walked into the bedroom of Callen's house, took my shoes off, and lied down on the mattress with a sigh. Closing my eyes.

A couple seconds went by, then I felt Callen lie down on mattress beside me.

Then, I felt his arm go across my waist, and his lips kiss my neck lightly.

"Callen," I began, as I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Yeah?" Callen asked.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"For what?" He asked, looking confused.

"For pulling you in, then pushing you away." I said.

"It's ok." He said.

"It's not." I said. "The reason why I keep doing it is because….Of my scars."

"Because of your scars?" Callen asked. "Emily, there's no need for you to feel insecure. You're the most beautiful woman in the world."

I laughed a little.

"Good one." I said.

"I'm telling the truth." He said. "And I don't mind taking it slow."

Relief washed over me.

"Thank you." I said, as I got closer to him, and hugged him.

Callen hugged me back.

"Can you do something for me?" I whispered.

"Anything." I heard Callen whisper.

"I know how your sleeping habits are." I whispered. "But, do you think maybe you could…Stay?"

"Yeah, of course." I heard Callen whisper, as he rubbed my back.

And once again, I felt better.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(The Next Morning)

I woke up the next morning, snuggling into Callen's neck, and immediately realized something.

I had no nightmares last night.

I sighed.

"Good morning." I heard Callen say softly.

"Good morning." I said. "How long have you been up?"

"Not too long." I heard Callen say.

I pulled away from his neck, and looked at him.

"Ok, maybe an hour." Callen said. "But I didn't want to let you go."

I smiled a little, and kissed him.

When I was about to pull away, Callen put his hand on the back of my head, and kissed me back.

Then, he turned me on my back slowly. Rolling on top of me as he did.

Callen pulled away, and began to lift my shirt up.

I put my hands on his.

"It's ok." He said. "Trust me."

I hesitated a little, but ended up nodding.

Callen resumed to lift my shirt up. Revealing my stomach.

He then traced one of my scars with his fingers, lightly.

Then, he kissed it.

"You're so beautiful." Callen murmured, before he kissed my scar again.

Callen did the same thing with the other scars. Then, he kissed me on the lips again.

Callen then pulled away, and looked me in the eyes.

"Every single piece of you is beautiful." He said. "Even your scars."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really." Callen said.

Then, he kissed me again.

I kissed him back immediately.

As we continued to kiss, one of my nightmares resurfaced.

I pushed Callen away.

"We should get ready for work." I said, quickly.

Then, I got out from under Callen, got off the bed, and headed toward the bathroom.


	48. Chapter 48

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_I kissed Callen one more time and pulled away, looking at him._

_"Callen," I said._

_"Yeah?" Callen asked._

_"I love you." I said._

_Callen smiled._

_"I love you, too." He said._

_Then, Callen kissed me once again._

_We kissed for a couple minutes, then, I heard a bang._

_Callen and I pulled away, and looked toward the bedroom door._

_"Someone's in the house." Callen said. Then, he looked at me. "Stay here."_

_I nodded._

_Callen then got off me, stood up, and headed toward the door._

_Then Callen left. Closing the door behind him._

_Despite Callen telling me to stay put, I got up, and left the bedroom quietly._

_As I walked toward the living room, I heard people fighting._

_Once I got to the entrance to the living room, I saw Callen hitting Adam and vice versa._

_I stood there shocked._

_How did Adam find out where we were? How did he know Callen lived here?_

_As the fight continued, Adam kicked Callen the stomach, then hit him in the face. Making Callen fall down on the ground._

_I wanted to go over there and help Callen._

_But for some reason, I couldn't move._

_Then, Adam pulled out a gun and aimed it at Callen._

_"NO!" I shouted._

_But I was ignored._

_Adam fired his gun. The bullets going right into Callen._

_"NO!" I screamed._

_Then, I ran over to Callen._

_"Callen," I said, as I knelt down beside him._

_He didn't respond._

_"CALLEN!" I said._

I bolted up right, breathing heavily.

"Emily, hey, it's ok." I heard a voice say.

Then, I felt someone wrap their arms around me.

"It's ok." I heard the voice say again.

I recognized the voice as Nate's.

Then, I began to cry.

"Sh, it's ok." I heard Nate say gently.

I was in Nate's Office.

I had asked Nate if I could lie down on his couch because of a headache, and because the other couch was already occupied by someone else.

I don't remember falling asleep.

But since I had one of my nightmares, I obviously did as some point.

Once I calmed down and stopped crying, I pulled away from Nate, and put my feet on the floor.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I heard Nate ask.

"No." I said, shaking head.

"It may make you feel better." I heard Nate say, as I wiped the tears away.

"I'm good." I said looking at him.

I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Really." I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and I were in the bull pen, sitting at our desk, doing paper work, when I suddenly heard someone begin to tap their pen on the table.

I looked over at Kensi and saw she was tapping her pen.

I looked at Sam and Deeks and saw Kensi's pen tapping caught their attention as well.

They both looked the way I felt.

Annoyed.

Sam cleared his throat.

No response from Kensi. She just continued to read what was in front of her and tap her pen.

I cleared my throat louder than Sam did.

Still, no response.

A couple seconds went by, then Deeks said loudly:

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"

Kensi stopped tapping her pen and looked at Deeks.

"What?" Kensi asked.

"Are you _aware_ of your pen tapping?" Deeks asked.

"What about it?" Kensi asked.

"Stop it." I said.

"Please." Sam said.

"What's wrong with me tapping my pen?" Kensi asked.

"Everything." Deeks, Sam, and I said at the same time.

"It helps me think." Kensi said.

"Find a different way." Sam said.

"One that doesn't annoy us." I added.

"Ditto." Deeks said.

Kensi narrowed her eyes at us.

"Fine." Kensi said.

Then, we all went back to do our work.

About a minute went by, then I heard a noise.

I looked at Kensi and saw she was now biting her pen.

"Seriously?" I asked.

Kensi looked at me and stopped biting her pen.

"Hey, Callen," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the bull pen and saw Eric was standing in the door way.

"Nate wants to see you." Eric said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know." Eric said. "He just asked me to get you."

Alright, I thought.

I got up from my desk.

"Help her with her problem." I said to Deeks and Sam.

"On it." Deeks said.

"What? I don't have a problem." Kensi said, as I headed out of the bull pen.

"Yeah you do." Sam said.

As Kensi began to protest, I left the bull pen and made my way to Nate's Office.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I knocked on Nate's open door.

Nate looked up from his desk at me.

"Eric said you wanted to see me." I said.

"Yes." Nate said. "Please, come in and close the door."

I walked inside, and closed the door.

"This isn't a psych evaluation, is it?" I asked, looking at him.

"No." He said, as he stood up. "I'm afraid it's far from that."

Judging by the seriousness Nate was giving off, I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"I need to talk to you about something." Nate said.

"Are we switching titles?" I asked jokingly.

Nate smiled a little.

"Have a seat." He said.

I walked over to the couch and sat down, as Nate walked over to the chair across from the couch and sat down also.

"What's got you troubled?" I asked.

Nate was silent for a couple seconds, then he asked:

"Has Emily talked to you?"

"About what?" I asked confused.

"About her sleeping." Nate said.

"No." I said. "As far as I know of, she's sleeping fine…Why?"

"I was afraid of that." He mumbled.

"_Why_, Nate?" I asked.

Nate hesitated, then he looked at me.

"Emily came into my office to lay down on the couch today." Nate began. "And when she did, she fell asleep….And when she woke up, she woke up screaming."

"Screaming?" I asked.

Nate nodded.

"She had a nightmare, Callen." He said. "She told me she's been having them for a while now."

"She didn't have one last night." I said. "I was with her the whole night. She never woke up."

"She told me when she wakes up from having one, you're not there." Nate said.

"She never mentioned it to me." I said.

"I know." He said. "I don't think she was ever going to tell you."

"Which is why you are." I said.

"I think it would be good for her to talk about it to someone she trust." Nate said. "To have someone be there for her. And that person is, without a doubt, you…..Her husband."

I thought about what Nate said.

"Don't let her know I told you." He said. "Just, _try_ to get her to open up. If she continues to have these nightmares, especially if she doesn't talk about them, it's just going to eat her up inside and get worse."

I nodded.

"I will." I said. "Thank you for telling me."

Nate nodded.


	49. Chapter 49

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Hey," I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the entrance of the bull pen and saw Callen joining me, Kensi, Deeks, and Sam.

"Hey," I said, smiling at him from where I was sitting. Which was at his desk.

Callen smiled a little back at me, as he made his way over to his desk, and stood across from me.

"You're at my desk." Callen said.

I nodded.

"You're sitting in my chair." Callen said.

I nodded again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kensi smile.

"Where am I going to sit?" Callen asked me.

I shrugged and smiled a little.

Callen smiled and shook his head.

Then, he walked pass Deeks, into the kitchen, and disappeared.

Two seconds later, Callen came back with a chair and sat it down beside me.

Then, he sat down in it.

"Wow," Deeks said.

"What?" Callen asked.

"Nothing, it's just, I sat in your chair _numerous_ times, yet, you always make _me_ get out of it." Deeks said.

"You _shed_, Deeks." Sam said teasingly.

"For your information, I do not _shed_." Deeks said.

"You're also not my wife." Callen said.

"…That is a very true point." Deeks said.

"Anyway," Kensi said, looking at me. "I'm curious about something."

"What are you curious about?" I asked.

"How did you and Callen get together?" Kensi asked.

"….Um," I began.

Then I looked at Callen to see he was looking at me.

"Uh…" Callen began, clearly just uncomfortable as I was. "It, um…"

"It just…..Happened." I said, looking back at Kensi.

"How though?" Kensi asked. "Like, what sparked it?"

"…Let's just say it got sparked." Callen said.

I nodded my head in agreement.

"I have a question," Deeks said. "Who said _'I love you' _first?"

Silence soon followed Deeks question.

I looked at Callen just in time to see him look at me.

"We have to go, don't we?" Callen asked me.

"Yeah." I said. "We do. We have to go."

"Yeah, I thought so." Callen said.

Then, we stood up.

"Whoa, wait, aren't you going to answer the question?" Kensi asked.

"We _really_ have to go." I said, as Callen and I headed out of the bull pen.

"Yeah, we'll see you guys…later." Callen said.

Then, we left the bull pen, and headed toward the exit of the building.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen and I walked into his house. Me closing the door behind us.

It's been pretty much silent since we left the bull pen.

I looked at Callen and saw he was studying me.

"What?" I asked.

"Let's talk." Callen said.

"Ok." I said. "What do you want to talk about?"

Callen took my hand and led me to the chair.

Then, Callen sat down in it and pulled me to sit on his lap.

It was silent for a moment, then Callen said:

"I know."

"Know what?" I asked confused.

"About the nightmares." He said softly. "I know."

I made a move to get up, but Callen's grip kept me in place.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Callen asked.

"You didn't need to know." I said. "And apparently I can't trust Nate with anything."

"Nate just felt like you should talk to someone." He said. "Even if it wasn't him."

"I don't need to talk." I said.

"Em," Callen began. "Come on. I tell you my nightmares. Even when I don't _want_ to. But you convinced me to talk to you about them. You can do the same. It doesn't have to be one sided."

He was right.

He was right and I knew it.

Instead of saying anything, I put my head on his shoulder.

Callen responded by pulling me impossibly closer to him.

"So?" I heard Callen ask.

"Don't get freaked out." I said.

"I won't." I heard Callen say. "They're just dreams. It's not like they're ever going to come true."

I was silent for a moment, then I said:

"One of my nightmares…involves you."

"What's it about?" I heard Callen ask.

"The beginning was….nice." I said, smiling a little. But it only lasted a second. "But the rest of it was horrible."

I then began to draw circles on his shirt with my finger.

"We were in the bedroom, kissing." I began quietly. Leaving out the 'I love you' part. "We heard a noise, and you told me to stay where I was and left….I didn't listen to you, and left the room…..When I was in the living room, I saw you and Adam fighting…Somehow Adam got the best of you, and he ended up shooting you."

I then stopped talking, and stopped drawing circles on his shirt.

"…He _killed_ you." I said, just barely above a whisper, as tears came to my eyes.

It was silent as I blinked the tears away, and Callen's hold on me tightened.

"That's not going to happen." I heard Callen say. "Because that would involve me leaving you, and that's NEVER going to happen."

I lifted my head up and looked at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah." Callen said.

I put my arms around his neck, and put my forehead against his.

Callen pecked me on the lips.

I smiled a little and he chuckled.

Then, he kissed me again.

I kissed him back, and straddled him. Callen's hands going to my thighs as I did.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I watched Emily sleep in my arms.

And as I did, I remembered Deeks asking us which one of us said 'I love you' first.

_I knocked on Emily's door._

_She hasn't been herself lately, and I wanted to make sure she was ok._

_When there was no answer, I knocked on the door again._

_Nothing._

_I took the key she gave me out of my pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it. Walking inside her apartment as I did._

_"Em?" I called out, as I closed the door. "Emily, you here?"_

_I walked over to the living room, and saw a bottle of whiskey on the coffee table._

_But she doesn't drink whiskey…..I thought._

_I heard a groan and looked toward the couch._

_Emily was sprawled out on it. Clearly unconscious._

_I sighed as I wondered what happened to make her drink a drink she didn't like and get drunk._

_I walked over to her, and picked her up._

_"Hmm?" Emily said, keeping her eyes closed._

_"It's just me." I said, quietly. "I'm putting you to bed."_

_"Gigi?" Emily slurred._

_I couldn't help but chuckle at that as I headed toward her bedroom._

_Emily called me Gigi whenever she really wanted something._

_At first it started out as her annoying me by calling me Gigi._

_But I became use to it and she ends up calling me that when she was about to ask me to do something I would say no to._

_But I ended up doing it anyway, because, well, I couldn't and still can't say no to her._

_"Yeah, it's me." I said. "Gigi."_

_"Gigi." She said, smiling._

_I couldn't help but smile at her drunkenness._

_Emily normally never get's drunk._

_So seeing her like this was a little funny. Despite the worry I felt at to what would make her get drunk._

_Once I reached Emily's bedroom, I sat her down on the bed and put the covers over her._

_When I was about to leave, Emily reached out for me and grabbed my arm._

_"Don't go." Emily pleaded. "Please stay, Gigi."_

_I smiled a little._

_"Ok." I said. "I'll stay."_

_Tracy won't like it, but, oh well, I thought._

_I took my shoes off, and got into the bed._

_Emily instantly began to cuddle with me._

_I chuckled a little, and wrapped my arms around her. Placing a kiss on top of her head._

_"Goodnight, Gigi." Emily said. _

_"Goodnight, Emily." I said._

_"I love you." She said._

_My heart stopped._

_I love you?_

_Emily _loved_ me?_

_"…I love you, too." I whispered._

Emily moved closer to me. Her nose pressing against my neck.

"I love you." I whispered to her.

I knew she was asleep and didn't hear me.

But saying those words to her, even if she didn't hear them, let me know that I will be able to tell her them when she was awake, when I was ready and had the courage to actually say them to her.


	50. Chapter 50

(The Next Day)

(Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_I woke up and tried to move my hands._

_But I couldn't._

_I quickly realized I was tied up in a chair._

_I opened my eyes, and tried to make sense as to where I was._

_I was in the warehouse._

_I heard a groan and looked to my left to see Annie was tied up in a chair beside me._

_"Annie," I whispered._

_Annie slowly turned her head to face me._

_"Emily," Annie said. "What happened?"_

_"Someone got the better of us." I said, then I shook my head. "Not sure how, but they did."_

_Annie then looked around us._

_"We're in the warehouse." I said. "And no, I don't know how we got in here."_

I opened the door to Callen's house and walked inside.

"You're back." I heard a voice say, as I closed the door.

I looked toward the voice and saw Callen sitting in his chair. Closing the book I assumed he was reading.

"I am." I said. "And I brought you a coffee."

I walked over to him, and handed him one of the two coffee cup's in my hands.

Callen took the coffee cup.

"Thank you." Callen said.

I took a drink of my coffee, as Callen sat his down on the floor, along with the book.

Then, Callen got up, took my coffee away from me, and kissed me.

"Mmm." I felt him say against my lips. Then he pulled away. "It tastes good."

"I'm glad you think so." I said.

Callen smiled, and sat my coffee cup down on the floor.

"So," Callen began. "Since we have the day off….Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" I asked.

"Maybe." He said. "What if I am?"

"Then I would…accept." I said, choosing my words carefully, because I didn't want to give my hopes up.

But I also didn't want him to think I was only sexually attracted to him.

"Then it's a date." Callen said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Two Days Later)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"So, what did you and Emily do all weekend?" I heard Sam ask.

Sam and I were in the gym, exercising side by side on the exercising bike.

"Well, I _did_ have plans for us." I began.

"And what happened?" I heard Sam ask.

"We never left the house." I said.

I felt Sam's eyes on me.

"In fact," I said. "We never made it to the door."

"You couldn't be a gentleman?" I heard Sam ask.

"Hey, I HAVE been a gentleman." I said defensively, as I stopped moving my legs and looked at him.

"Yet you couldn't control yourself until _after_ your plans?" Sam asked.

"Sam, if you saw the dress she was wearing….." I began, as I remembered the dress.

Then I shook my head.

"Let's just say, next day off, I will go through with my plans." I said, as I began to move my legs again.

"Unless she wears that dress?" I heard Sam ask, tauntingly.

"I hid it." I said. "So, she can't wear it. She has to pick something else."

I heard Sam laugh.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Next Day Off)

(Callen's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I walked into the living room fixing the dress I picked out, since I couldn't find the other dress I was planning to wear.

"Wow," I heard Callen say.

I stopped fixing my dress and looked at Callen, who was in a button up shirt and jeans, and saw he was looking at me in awe like he did the past two times we planned on going on our first date.

"You look amazing." Callen said.

I blushed and smiled a little.

"Thank you." I said.

"Shall we?" He asked.

I nodded, and walked over to him.

Callen opened the door for me, and I walked out of the house. Callen following shortly after.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen and I were walking on the beach.

After Callen and I had dinner at a restaurant, Callen drove us here.

It has been silent since we got here. With the exception of the tide going in and out of the water.

Callen suddenly walked up ahead a little, and sat down in the sand.

I followed him, and sat down beside him.

Callen moved so that he was sitting behind me, and wrapped his arms around me as he put his head on my shoulder.

I smiled as I relaxed in his arms. Feeling safe.

A couple more seconds went by, then I heard Callen say:

"I love you."

My heart stopped.

I turned a little and looked at him.

"You do?" I asked.

"I do." Callen said. "I love you."

I honestly couldn't believe he was saying that to me right now.

But I also knew it must have taken him a bit to _actually_ say it. Given everything he had been through. Especially with Tracy.

I was happy he did, though.

Because that meant, it wasn't just one sided.

"I love you, too." I said.

Callen smiled a little, and began to lean in.

I leaned in too, and kissed him.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Callen kicked the door to the bedroom close. Not breaking the kiss as he did.

He then pushed me up against the wall, and let his hands roam all over me. My hands doing the same to him.

Callen pulled away, and looked at me.

"I love you." Callen whispered.

"I love you." I whispered back.

Then, Callen kissed me again.

And that's when, we heard a noise.

Callen and I pulled away.

Callen looked toward the closed bedroom door, as another noise was heard.

I then remembered my nightmare.

"It sounds-" Callen began.

"Sh!" I whispered.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

"G.," I heard a familiar voice say.

I let out a sigh in relief.

Callen walked over to the door, and opened it.

Standing on the other side of the door, was Sam.

And despite me being relieved that it was just Sam, I wanted to hurt him for scaring me like that.

"Sam." Callen said.

"Sorry to interrupt your guys evening, but we need to go to OPS." Sam said.

"Why?" Callen asked.

"Eric and Nell found Adam." Sam said.


	51. Chapter 51

(At NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Callen, Sam, and I entered OPS to see Eric, Nell, Deeks, Kensi, and Hetty.

"Eric," Hetty said.

Eric nodded.

"We found Adam." Eric said.

Then, he typed on his portable keyboard, and images came up on the big screen in front of us.

"He's in Los Angeles." Eric said.

"What beach is that?" I asked.

"Venice." Deeks said.

Eric nodded.

"What's he doing there?" Kensi asked.

"Eric, when was that taken?" Callen asked.

"Today." Eric said. "Not too long ago, actually. Roughly an hour or so."

Callen and I looked at each other.

"Care to share?" I heard Sam ask.

"Emily and I were at the Venice beach." Callen said, looking at Sam. "The same time Adam was. He was watching us."

"Which means he was probably following us, too." I said.

"Miss Jones," Hetty said. "Look for any sign of Adam near Mr. Callen's house or our Headquarters."

Nell walked over to her computer, sat down, and began to type away.

"I got a hit at the airport." Eric said. "He arrived two days ago."

"From where?" I asked.

"Mexico." Eric said.

"Do you know where he went after he arrived?" Sam asked.

"Working on it." Eric said.

"He hasn't been anywhere near headquarters." Nell said. "Not even three blocks away."

"So, we're not compromised?" Kensi asked.

"For now, no." Hetty said.

"A cab dropped him off at a house." Eric said. "But he didn't go inside. He walked in the opposite direction the cab was going in."

"Then what?" Callen asked.

"I don't know." Eric said. "He faded into a crowd of people and I haven't got a hook on him since."

"As far as I know of, Adam hasn't been at Callen's house." Nell said.

"What about around it?" Deeks asked.

"No." Nell said, shaking her head. "He hasn't been anywhere near it."

"What is he planning?" I wondered out loud.

"That's a good question, Miss Taylor." Hetty said. "And I'm sure Nell and Eric will find out where he has been for the past couple of days and what exactly he has been doing in Mexico."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Sam asked.

"What you've always done." Hetty said. "Keep yourself busy, and be on alert." Then, Hetty looked at Callen. "I would like to see you," Then she pointed at him. "In my office."

Then, Hetty walked out of OPS.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"I don't think I have to tell you how dangerous it is to have Adam in Los Angeles, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "Especially as far as Miss Taylor's and your safety is concerned."

Hetty and I were in her Office.

She was sitting behind her desk, and I was sitting in the chair across from her.

"We'll be fine, Hetty." I said, assuring her.

"Promise me, you will be there for Miss Taylor." She said. "Adam will know her weaknesses."

"I won't let anything happen to her." I said. "And Adam won't get anywhere near her as long as I'm around."

Hetty gave me a nod.

"This will be hard for her." Hetty said. "She probably won't admit it, but it will be, Mr. Callen. And you have to understand that."

"Because she had feelings for him." I said.

"Yes." She said. "And despite how she feels for him now, it will still be difficult. And she's going to need you."

I let what Hetty said sink in.

"Just like how she was there for you." I heard Hetty say.

I looked at Hetty.

"I know." I said. "Don't worry…I will look out for her."


	52. Chapter 52

(The Next Day)

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Kensi moved to hit me with a pole.

I ducked.

Kensi and I were in the gym. Practicing our combat skills with objects.

Right now, we were practicing with the wooden pole.

Kensi went to hit me again, and I blocked her by putting my wooden pole up where she was going to strike.

_I ducked as he swung the metal pipe at me._

_But in doing so, he kicked me in the face and I fell to the floor._

_I quickly got up, as he swung the pipe to hit me again. _

_But he missed and hit the floor._

I pushed Kensi away, got down on the floor and swiped my foot at her feet. Making her lose her balance and fall. Letting go of the wooden pole as she did.

I picked it up and quickly got up into a ready position.

"Wow." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Deeks was standing not too far away with a cup of coffee in hand.

"She just kicked your ass." Deeks said to Kensi.

"I was just getting warmed up." Kensi said, as she stood up.

"Uh huh. Sure." Deeks said, as he took a drink of his coffee.

"You think you can beat her?" Kensi asked.

"I-" Deeks began.

"Go ahead." Kensi said. "Let's see you try to beat her."

"I was just observing." Deeks said.

"Aw, is whittle Deeks afraid to get beat?" Kensi asked.

"Fine." Deeks said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'll give it a shot."

Kensi smiled in victory as Deeks sat his cup down, and walked over to me.

"Have fun." Kensi said, smiling, as she walked to where Deeks was.

"Ok, so this is just basic stick to stick?" Deeks asked, as I held out a wooden pole to him.

"Yeah. Pretty much." I said.

Deeks nodded. Then he took the wooden pole from me, examining it.

_He examined the metal pipe in his hand._

_"Too bad your father couldn't do what was asked of him." Midura said. "Hopefully when he sees this tape," He then gestured toward the video camera he set up behind him. "He will see things _my_ way."_

_Then, Midura raised the pipe over his head to hit me._

I blocked Deeks wooden pole with my own, and pushed him away.

I then took a shot at him.

He blocked it.

_I ran from Midura. Looking for anything I could use to fight back with, as I did._

_But soon, I came to a dead end._

_I turned around and saw Midura walking toward me._

I moved my wooden pole away and kicked Midura in the stomach.

Midura fell down with an 'Oof!'

I then moved my wooden pole to hit him.

Midura quickly put his wooden pole up and blocked it.

I pushed down on the pole. Midura not giving up.

Then, suddenly, Midura's face turned into Deeks'.

I suddenly realized what was happening.

I let up on the hold I had on Deeks, dropped the wooden pole, and began to head toward the gyms exit.

"Emily?" I heard Kensi call out to me. "Where are you going?"

Without answering her, I left the gym.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I thought Deeks was Midura, I thought.

…Why?

I was cleaning my gun for about the fifth time in the weapons room.

After I left the gym, I came straight here, and began to clean my gun over and over again.

A gun can never be too clean.

I didn't know why I thought Deeks was Midura for that split second. But I did.

And even I knew that wasn't good.

Maybe it's my conscious, I thought, as I remembered my trip to see my Mom and Dad.

I never told Callen about it.

The only ones who knew was Annie and my Dad.

And that was because she was with me, and my Dad was involved.

Callen and I both knew Midura got out of prison somehow, but we could never _prove_ it.

He was in his cell when we went to go check on him for surprise visits.

We didn't actually get anywhere near his cell, but we did see him in there in person from a distance away where he didn't know we were there.

Yet, that day….

I had went to the jail he was suppose to be in, after my vacation, and went to his cell door.

There was a different person in his place.

And I never told Callen.

I couldn't tell him.

In a way, it felt like keeping this to myself, was protecting him.

It probably wouldn't make sense to anyone else, but it made sense to me and that's all that matters.

But I thought Deeks was Midura.

And they don't even look alike.

"Hey," I heard a voice say.

I stopped cleaning my gun, and looked toward the voice.

I saw Callen walking over to me.

"I thought I would find you in here." Callen said.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because I looked everywhere else." He said.

I smiled a little.

"Kensi told me what happened." Callen said. "You ok?"

"Yeah." I said. "I'm good."

"Third time?" He asked, nodding his head at my gun.

"…Fifth." I admitted.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Callen asked.

"I'm sure." I said.

"…Ok." He said, nodding his head slowly.


	53. Chapter 53

(NCIS: OSP Headquarters)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was in the weapons room with Emily, watching her put her gun back together.

I knew she wasn't alright.

I knew there was something bothering her.

But I didn't call her out on it.

I didn't want to push her into telling me.

Whenever I did that in the past, she just pushed me away.

The last time being when she came back from her vacation to visit her parents.

_"Hey! You're back!" I said. Happy to see Emily come into my apartment._

_"I am." Emily said, smiling a little at me, as she made her way over to me. "What have you been doing since I've been gone?"_

_"Oh, you know," I began, as I sat the book I had in my hands down on the floor. "The same G. Callen stuff I normally do. Read, practice languages, eat, kinda sleep, walk around, catch bad guys." I then stood up. "Enough about me. What did you do in Norway with your parents?"_

_"Nothing much." Emily said, quickly, as she looked around the apartment. As if she didn't see it before now._

_I studied Emily._

_"Did something happen?" I asked._

_"No." She said._

_"Em, I know you're lying." I said. "What happened?"_

_"Nothing." Emily said._

_"Emily," I began._

_"NOTHING HAPPENED!" She shouted as she finally looked at me. "Nothing happened! Quit asking!"_

_"Ok, calm down." I said. "I just wanted to know what you did during your vacation. That's all."_

_Emily stared at me for a couple seconds, then she sighed._

_"I'm sorry, G." Emily said sincerely. "But drop it, ok?"_

_"Ok." I said, as I wondered what happened._

So, I didn't push her to tell me.

I just hope she will on her own.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

_"Mom, Dad….There's something I have to tell you." I began._

_"You're not an accountant." My Dad said._

_I shook my head._

_"I don't understand." My Mom said._

_"Being an accountant is my cover job." I said. "One of them, anyway."_

_"Then what do you actually do?" My Mom asked._

_I hesitated a little, then I said:_

_"I'm a Federal Agent."_

_My Mom and Dad looked at me in shock._

_"But you can't tell anyone." I said quickly. "No one. It a risk telling you already."_

_My Dad suddenly looked at me with pride._

_I took that as a good sign._

_"That's why you keep missing Thanksgiving and Christmas?" My Mom asked._

_"Sometimes." I said._

_"Sometimes?" My Dad repeated. "That means there's another reason."_

_I looked down at my hands. Debating whether to come clean or not._

After I reassembled my gun, I looked at Callen.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." Callen said, shaking his head.

"Callen, Emily," I heard a voice say suddenly.

Callen and I looked toward the voice and saw Nell had came into the room.

"Adam's leaving." Nell said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Where's he going?" I asked, as Callen, Nell, and myself entered OPS. Joining Deeks, Kensi, Sam, Eric, and Hetty.

"He's on a plane to New York City." Eric said. "With a connecting flight."

"To where?" Hetty asked.

"…Norway." Eric said, surprised.

"Are you sure?" I asked, as Callen looked at me.

"Yeah. Very sure." Eric said.

"Wait, doesn't Emily's parents…" Deeks began.

"Yeah." Callen said.

"Well, this just keeps getting worse." Deeks said.

"Eric, get a plane ready." Hetty said. "Destination, Norway. Non-stop flight. Fifteen minutes. No less. We've got to get there before Adam does."

Eric gave Hetty a nod, and began to type away on his handheld keyboard.

Hetty then looked at Callen, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and me.

"Pack your bags, ladies and gentleman." Hetty said. "I want you on that plane in five."

We nodded, and headed out of OPS.


	54. Chapter 54

(Norway)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"So, you excited to see your parents?" Sam asked me from the back seat.

I was driving Deeks, Sam, Kensi, Callen, and I to my parent's house.

The only reason why I was driving was because I knew where to go.

We landed in Norway about twenty minutes ago.

"Sure." I said.

"What about you, Callen?" Deeks asked. "You excited to see the in-laws?"

"I actually am." Callen said from the passenger seat. "I can't wait to meet them."

"Wait, you never met her parents?" Kensi asked.

"No." Callen said.

"Well, this going to be interesting." Deeks said.

"Do they even know you're married?" Sam asked.

"Probably not, Sam." Callen said. "It was a secret, remember?"

"How did you guys get married?" Kensi asked.

"Long story." Callen and I said at the same time.

"And my parents do know I'm married." I said.

Callen looked at me surprised.

"You told them?" Callen asked.

"Yeah, but, they don't know it's you, so, don't tell them." I said.

"How did they take it?" Kensi asked.

_I looked down at my hands. Debating whether to come clean or not._

_"Emily whatever the other reason is, you can tell us." I heard my Mom say._

_I hesitated._

_Then, I said:_

_"I'm married."_

_I then looked up at them._

_"What?" My Mom asked, shocked._

_"I'm married." I said. "I've been married for roughly six months. It's not what you think though. He's a great guy. I knew him for years. He's in the same line of work as I am. He-"_

_"Get out." My Dad said, suddenly. Cutting me off._

_"What?" I asked._

_"I said, get. Out." My Dad said._

_"I don't understand." I said._

_"You're not my daughter." My Dad said. _

_"Henry," My Mom began._

_"Well, it's the truth!" My Dad shouted at her. "She's not my daughter! Because my daughter wouldn't just up and marry a junkie!"_

_"Henry!" My Mom said, sternly._

_"Just when I thought I could be PROUD of you." My Dad said, looking at me with cold eyes. "Turns out I was wrong."_

_"Dad," I began._

_"I'm NOT your father." My Dad said coldly. "Not anymore. Get the hell out of my house. And don't even _think _about coming back."_

"…You could say they were…..Surprised." I said.

"Surprised in a good way?" Deeks asked.

"…..Yeah." I said.

"Looks like G.'s got nothing to worry about then." Sam said, patting Callen on the shoulder.

"Probably, but, don't tell them I'm married to you." I said to Callen. "That goes for everyone. Don't say anything about it."

"But I thought they were good with it?" Kensi asked.

"I want to introduce them properly when I get the chance." I said. "So, until then, please don't say anything."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I pulled into my parent's drive way, and parked the car.

"Can I talk to G. alone for a second?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course." Sam said.

Then, Sam, Deeks, and Kensi got out of the car. Leaving me with Callen.

A couple seconds went by, then I said:

"Before we go in there, I just want you to know I haven't seen my parents in almost ten years…...And the last time I saw them, things didn't go so well."

"When you went to see them on that vacation you took." Callen said.

I nodded.

"What happened?" Callen asked.

"I don't want to get into it right now." I said. "After this is over, I'll tell you."

"Ok." Callen said.

Then, I got out of the car.

Callen got out of the car also, and we, along with Sam, Deeks, and Kensi, headed toward the front door.

_"Are you going to divorce him?" My Dad asked bitterly._

_"No." I said._

_"Then we have nothing else to talk about." My Dad said._

_"Dad," I began._

_"If you want to be back in our lives, you have to divorce that good for nothing filth you call a husband." My Dad said. "Otherwise, don't bother calling again."_

_"Dad, don't make me choose." I said. _

_"Well, I am." My Dad said. "So, what's it going to be?"_

I put my hand up to knock on the door, but hesitated.

_"Him." I said. "I choose him."_

I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder, and squeeze it a little.

I didn't have to look to know it was Callen.

Then, I took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.


	55. Chapter 55

(Norway)

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

After I knocked on the door, a couple seconds went by, then it opened.

And when it did, I saw my Mom.

"Emily?!" My Mom said, surprised, yet, happily.

"Hey, Mom." I said, happy to see her.

"Oh, Honey!" My Mom said, as she hugged me.

I hugged her back, tightly.

I missed my Mom.

Then, she pulled away, smiling a little at me. Hints of tears forming in her eyes

"Come on in, Sweetheart." My Mom said. "All of you, please, come in."

We all walked inside, and my Mom closed the door.

"I'm so glad you're here." My Mom said to me. "Who are your friends?"

"These are my colleagues." I said. "This is NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, Special Agent Kensi Blye, and LAPD Liaison Detective Marty Deeks."

"It's nice to meet you." Sam said, holding his hand out to her.

My Mom smiled as she took his hand and shook it.

"Navy SEAL." My Mom said. "My husband is a former Navy SEAL, too. I have a feeling he will like you."

Sam smiled, as they retracted hands.

"And this is Special Agent Callen." I said, pointing to Callen.

My Mom looked at Callen with a warm smile.

"Hi." Callen said, smiling a little as he offered her his hand.

"Hi." My Mom said, as she took his hand and shook it.

When their hands pulled away, my Mom looked at me.

"I have a feeling this is more than a surprise visit." My Mom said.

"Unfortunately." I said. "Where's…Where's Dad?"

"He's in the backyard." My Mom said. "I'll-"

"I'll go get him." I said, cutting her off.

"Honey, are you sure?" My Mom asked, a hint of worry in her voice, which caused Sam, Deeks, Kensi, and Callen to look at me.

"Yeah." I said, nodding.

Then, I began to make my way toward the backyard.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I watched Emily as she disappeared around a corner.

I couldn't help but feel concerned.

"How about we all go into the living room." Mrs. Taylor said, gaining my attention.

When I looked at her, I saw she was looking at me.

"Sure." Kensi said, as I nodded.

Mrs. Taylor gave us a warm smile, and began to walk into the living room.

Kensi, Sam, Deeks, and I followed her.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I walked outside and saw my father sitting at the outside table, reading a book.

As I stared at him, I remembered telling him I chose Callen, and not him.

It was the last words I said to him.

The last words either one of us said to each other before I hung up the phone.

Taking a deep breath, I walked slowly over to my father.

"Dad," I said.

It was silent for a couple seconds, then, my father looked at me.

"I thought I told you to never _think_ about coming back here." My Dad said, bitterly.

"I'm not here to fight with you." I said. "I need you inside. There's something I need to tell you and Mom."

"It must be important." My Dad said. "Since you haven't _talked_ to us in ten years."

"Just you." I said. "I write to Mom every day…Now get in the house."

My Dad stared at me. His jaw clinched.

Then, he closed his book, stood up, and headed toward the house like a two year old with a temper.

I took a deep breath, and followed him.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Who the hell are they?" My Dad asked, as soon as we entered the living room.

"Dad," I began. "These are my colleagues. This is Special Agent Sam Hanna, Special Agent Callen, Special Agent Kensi Blye, and LAPD Liaison Detective Marty Deeks."

"It's nice to meet you, Sir." Callen said, holding his hand out to my Dad.

My Dad looked at Callen, then he looked down at his hand.

"Same." My Dad said, looking back at Callen, taking his hand and shaking it as he did.

Oh thank God, I thought, relieved.

My Dad then looked at Sam as he let go of Callen's hand.

"You're a SEAL." My Dad said.

"I was." Sam said.

"So was I." My Dad said. "A SEAL is always welcomed in my home."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam said, as my Dad offered his hand to him.

Sam took his hand and shook it.

My Dad gave a nod to Kensi, as Sam and his hand retreated.

Then, My Dad looked at Deeks.

"A police officer, huh?" My Dad asked.

"Yes, Sir." Deeks said, smiling a little.

My Dad studied him.

"You don't look like one." My Dad said.

"Yeah, well, I use that to my advantage when I have to go undercover." Deeks said.

My Dad nodded as he continued to study him.

"So, why are you in my home?" My Dad asked, as he turned to look at me.

"We believe you and your wife's lives may be in danger." Callen said, gaining my father's attention.

"And why do you think that?" My Dad asked.

"Midura, Dad." I said, quietly.

My Dad looked at me.

"He knows about Midura?" Callen asked.

"How can I not?" My Dad said. "The man threatened, and kidnapped me in order to move weapons across the border for him. And when I didn't do that, he kidnapped my daughter and her friend."

Callen looked at me.

"I know." I said. "I should have told you."

Callen then walked by me and left the living room.

I sighed and looked at Sam.

"I'll tell them the rest." Sam said.

I gave him an appreciative look, then I turned around and went after Callen.

I was almost to him, when I saw him open the door and leave the house.

I followed him out the door.

"Callen," I said.

Callen stopped walking. But he didn't turn around.

"G., I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I said.

"Tell me what, Em?" Callen asked, as he turned around to face me. "That Midura kidnapped not only you, but your Dad and a friend of yours?!"

"Annie." I said. "It was Annie."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"Because I wanted to protect you." I said. "I know that sounds stupid, but to me, during that time, it made sense."

Callen rolled his eyes.

"I know I should have told you, and I'm sorry I didn't." I said. "…I didn't want you to worry about me…Do you forgive me?"

Callen looked at me.

"…Yeah, I forgive you." He said. "If it was me, I wouldn't have told you either."

Relief washed over me.

"No more secrets. Alright?" Callen said.

"Alright." I said. "No more secrets."

"Now give me hug." He said, smiling a little.

I smiled, and hugged him.

Callen hugged me back.

"We better get back in there." I said, pulling away from him.

"Ok." Callen said.

Then, Callen and I headed back toward the house.

"By the way," He began. "When are you going to tell your parents that I'm your husband?"

"Sometime." I said.

Or never, I thought.


	56. Chapter 56

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"No." My Dad said. "I'm not leaving my house."

"Dad," I began.

"I'm NOT leaving my house." My Dad repeated.

When Callen and I came back in the house, Sam had just finished telling my Mom and Dad that we had to escort them to a safe location.

And my Dad was being stubborn about it.

"You aren't even sure if this Adam is going to be going after us or not." My Dad said.

"It's a pretty safe bet." I said.

"Emily's right." Callen said. "Especially since he is Midura's son."

"I'm not leaving this house." My Dad said. "SEAL's don't run away. They fight back."

"It's true." Sam said. "…..How about, with your permission of course Sir, we stay here with you and your wife as a precaution...Will that be alright?"

My Dad thought about Sam's proposal for a moment.

"Fine." My Dad said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"So, Emily," My Mom began. "How about you tell us about your husband?"

I dropped my fork and it fell on the plate with a clatter.

We were sitting in the dining room eating dinner.

Everything was going fine.

As fine as I hoped it would go.

Sam was talking to my Dad about SEAL stuff. He was happy.

Then, my Mom asked _that_.

And now, my Dad's attention was on me.

"Yes." My Dad said. "Let's talk about your….._Husband_."

I can do this, I thought. I can do this.

"What do you want to know about him?" I asked.

"I don't like him." My Dad said.

I looked at him surprised.

"You…You know?" I asked.

"Yeah." My Dad said. "I don't approve of you being with him."

"Dad," I began.

"Hey, I think he's a pretty good guy." Kensi said, defensively.

"Me too." Sam said.

"You should at _least _give him a chance." Deeks said.

"I don't LIKE you!" My Dad said, pointing at Deeks.

"What?" Deeks asked, confused.

I suddenly realized what my Dad was thinking.

"Dad, no." I said, quickly. "Deeks isn't my husband."

"Yeah, I'm NOT her husband." Deeks said. "I have a girlfriend."

My Dad seemed to have visually calmed down, as he looked back at me.

"I am." Callen said.

My Dad and Mom looked at Callen.

My Mom smiled happily, as my Dad just stared at him.

"It's nice to finally meet you." My Mom said.

"Like wise." Callen said, smiling a little at her.

"When did you two meet?" My Mom asked.

"Years ago at work." Callen said.

"Will we be seeing little ones?" My Mom asked.

"Mom," I snapped at her, as I began to blush.

"I'm only asking." My Mom said, as I noticed Callen was getting a bit uncomfortable.

Sam, Kensi, and Deeks were trying hard not to smile.

"You're my daughter's husband?" My Dad asked, suddenly.

"Yes, Sir." Callen said.

"Are you a SEAL?" My Dad asked.

"No." Callen said.

"Marine?" My Dad asked.

"No." Callen said. "I wasn't in any service."

My father nodded. Clearly thinking about something.

Suddenly, an uncomfortable silence followed.

Someone please shoot me, I thought.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I sat down on the bed in my bedroom, as Callen closed the door.

"I think that went well." Callen said, as he walked over to me.

After dinner, my Dad was completely silent.

And he still was when we all went to bed.

"The last time he was this quiet about something, was when Oliver took his truck joy riding." I said.

"Oliver?" He asked, as he sat down.

"My brother." I said.

"What happened when your Dad found out?" Callen asked.

"Well…..Let's just say Oliver never got into his truck again." I said. "….Ever."

"….Ok." He said.

Then, it was silent.

I suddenly felt nervous.

And I knew why.

It was the comment my mother made during dinner.

I looked at Callen and saw he was looking at me.

We both looked away from each other quickly.

"So, um," I heard Callen begin. "We should get to bed."

"We should." I said.

Then, Callen and I both got up, took our shoes off, and got into the bed.

I turned the lap off.

"Goodnight, Em." Callen said.

"Goodnight, G." I said.

Then, Callen pecked me on the cheek.

I looked at him confused, as he got into a comfortable position.

"What was that?" I asked.

"What was what?" Callen asked.

"The kiss on the cheek." I said.

Callen looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"You _purposely_ didn't kiss me on the lips." I said.

"So?" He asked.

"Why?" I asked.

Callen sighed, leaned in, and pecked my lips.

"There." Callen said. "Happy?"

I studied him.

"Why didn't you want to kiss me?" I asked.

"I do want to kiss you." He said. "But I also know it will probably go too far. Which is why I kissed you on the cheek."

I continued to study him.

I had a feeling he just lied to me.

"Ok." I said, deciding to let it go.

Callen pecked me on the lips again.

"Goodnight." Callen said.

"Goodnight." I said.


	57. Chapter 57

(The Next Day)

(At Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

I was lying in bed with Emily. Staring at the ceiling.

Normally, I would be roaming around or doing something.

But since this wasn't my house, or Sam's house, I stayed in the room with Emily.

I've been awake for a couple hours now. Thinking about dinner last night.

More specifically, what Emily's Mom had asked.

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel uncomfortable or that I felt I was being put on the spot.

It wasn't that I was afraid of children. I mean, I love Sam's kids. And I hope to have some of my own someday.

But Emily and I had _just_ gotten together.

Not like her parents needed to know that, though.

I just feel like it would be too soon for kids.

Despite Emily and I knowing each other for years, it wasn't the same as _actually_ being with Emily in a romantic way.

_Without thinking, I pushed Emily up against the wall, and kissed her._

_A couple seconds went by, then, I heard the men we were keeping an eye on walk by us._

_Once I was sure they were gone, I pulled away, and looked at her._

_Emily looked at me shocked._

_"It was the only thing I could think of." I said._

_And to be honest, having an excuse to kiss Emily, _was_ the only thing on my mind for days._

"Hey," I heard Emily say.

I looked at her and saw she was awake.

"Hey," I said, smiling at her.

"What were you thinking about?" Emily asked.

"Random stuff." I said.

Emily moved closer to me.

"Like what?" She asked.

Before I answered, the door to the bedroom opened.

I looked toward the door and saw Sam, Deeks, and Kensi come into the room. Kensi holding her laptop.

"Ok, Eric." Kensi said.

Emily and I got out of the bed, and walked over to them.

And when we did, I saw Eric and Nell on the computer screen from OPS.

"Ok." Eric said. "Like I said, we figured out what Adam was doing in Mexico. He was meeting with a Tyson Victor. He owns a company in Mexico and was investigated multiple times for having illegal guns, but since they didn't have proof, he wasn't convicted."

"What can you tell us about him?" I asked.

"Nothing much." Nell said. "I literally can't find _anything_ on this guy."

"But we believe we know why Adam is in Norway." Eric said. "Midura's there."

"Wait, you found him?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." Eric said. "We tracked him through camera footage and we saw him enter a Norway airport a week ago."

"Do you know where he is now?" Sam asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Nell said. "We lost him as soon as he ditched his taxi."

"Keep looking." I said.

"We will." Eric said. "….So, how are the in-laws?"

"We'll talk to you later, Eric." I said.

Then, I closed Kensi's laptop.

"So, not only is Adam here, but Midura is too." Deeks said.

"If we find one, we'll get the other." Kensi said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

We all walked down the stairs, and headed toward kitchen.

"I hope Eric and Nell find them." Deeks said. "It will be a lot more easier apprehending them if they do."

"Due to the fact we will have the element of surprise." Kensi said.

"…Well, I was thinking about because we were already here and I don't want to have to come back." Deeks said. "But sure. That works too."

Once we entered the kitchen, I saw Mrs. Taylor cooking what smelt like eggs.

"Good morning!" Mrs. Taylor said, as she looked at us and smiled. "I hope you all like eggs."

"That depends, is that what we're having?" Deeks asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Taylor said.

"Then we're good." Deeks said, smiling.

Mrs. Taylor laughed a little, as Deeks, Kensi, and Sam walked over to the table.

"Mom, where's Dad?" Emily asked.

"He went for a walk a couple minutes ago." Mrs. Taylor said. "He said he will be back before breakfast."

"He talked?" Emily asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Taylor said.

"Ok." Emily said.

"So he talked." I said, gaining their attention. "That's good, right?"

"We'll see." Emily said.


	58. Chapter 58

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Breakfast came and went.

And Emily's father hasn't come back from his walk.

"This happens sometimes." Mrs. Taylor said. "He says he will be back before something, but ends up staying out later. It's nothing unusual or new."

We were in the living room now.

"I wish he took someone with him." Emily said.

"You know your father." Mrs. Taylor said.

"I know." Emily said.

Just then, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out, and saw it was OPS calling me.

"Excuse me." I said.

Then, I stood up and left the room.

Once I knew I wouldn't be heard, I answered the phone.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Callen," I heard Eric say on the other side of the phone. "I found Emily's father."

During breakfast, I texted Eric. Asking him to find Emily's father and to not say anything to anyone.

"Text me where." I said.

"Oh, and Callen," Eric began.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I found Adam, too." Eric said.

"Send the address of Emily's father to my phone." I said. "Send Adam's location to Kensi and Deeks."

"Will do." Eric said.

I then hung up my phone, and headed back into the living room.

"Eric called." I said. "Kensi, Deeks, he found Adam and is sending a location on your phones. Sam, come with me."

"Do you need me?" Emily asked as her, Kensi, Deeks, and Sam stood up.

"No." I said, as Kensi and Deeks walked by me. "You should stay here with your Mom."

Emily gave me a nod.

"We'll be back soon." I assured her.

Then, I walked out of the living room. Sam following me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"If Deeks and Kensi are going to Adam, where are we going?" Sam asked.

Sam and I were in the car. Me driving to the location Eric sent me.

"We're going to find Emily's Dad." I said.

"You had Eric track down Emily's father?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry, but if a SEAL says there going to be someplace at a certain time, aren't they there?" I asked.

"But you heard Emily's Mom say that he _doesn't_ come back when he says sometimes." He pointed out to me. "She even said it wasn't unusual."

"But he's a SEAL, Sam." I said. "And if I learned anything from you, it's that SEAL's _always_ do what they say….Being LATE, however….."

"That was ONCE." Sam said. "And I told you, Michelle made me do a couple things around the house before I got you for the basketball game."

"Uh huh." I said, smiling a little. "Sure."

Sam glared at me.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"Have you talked to Oliver?" My Mom asked.

My Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea.

"Not recently." I said. "How is he?"

"He's doing good." She said. "He's currently in Germany."

"Still sending you pictures?" I asked.

"Every chance he's got." My Mom said, smiling.

I laughed a little.

"Always the traveler." I said.

My Mom nodded.

"Oh! I want you to see the letter he sent me." My Mom said, standing up and walking over to the counter. "There was a part of it that made me laugh."

A couple seconds went by, then my Mom came back to the table with a paper in her hands.

"Oh! My glasses." My Mom said.

"I'll get them." I said, standing up. "Where are they?"

"In the living room." My Mom said.

I then headed into the direction of the living room.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In the Car)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"There he is." Sam said, pointing toward the side of the road.

I looked in the direction Sam was pointing in and saw Emily's Dad walking.

I pulled the car over, and got out.

"Mr. Taylor," I said, walking over to him.

Mr. Taylor looked at me.

"Oh, it's you." Mr. Taylor said, not-too-happily, as I reached him. "What do you want?"

"We were worried about you." I said. "You shouldn't have went for a walk on your own."

"Ever thought maybe I wanted to be alone?" He asked.

"Well, that's over." I said. "I'm taking you home."

"I don't think so." Mr. Taylor said.

"Fine." I said. "I will walk with you then. Either way, you're not going to be alone and unprotected."

"I can protect myself just fine." He said.

Well, I know where Emily gets that from, I thought.

"Oh well." I said. "You're stuck with me."

Mr. Taylor clinched his jaw.

Then, he walked over to the car.

I smirked, and headed toward the car also.

Once Mr. Taylor and I got in the car, I saw Sam hang up his phone.

"That was Kensi." Sam explained. "Adam got away. They're headed back to the house."

"So are we." I said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

After I drove in the driveway, I parked and shut the car off.

Then, Mr. Taylor, Sam, and I got out of the car and headed toward the house.

As we did, I noticed Kensi and Deeks weren't here yet.

Once we reached the door, I opened it and went inside.

And as soon as I did, I stopped walking.

The place was a mess.

"What the hell happened here?" I heard Mr. Taylor ask.

Then, he walked by me and headed to the living room.

I followed him as panic rose in me.

"Carol?!" Mr. Taylor called out.

"Emily?!" I called out as I headed into the kitchen, which was also trashed.

There was no sign of them.

I immediately made my way toward the stairs.

"EMILY!" I yelled.

I then saw Sam come down the stairs.

"They're not up there." Sam said.

I took my phone out and called Emily's cell phone. Putting the phone to my ear as soon as I did.

Suddenly, I heard ringing.

I followed the ringing noise.

As soon as I reached the kitchen, I saw Emily's phone on the ground.

I hung up my phone, as a bad feeling made it's presence known.

"I'm sure she's alright, G." I heard Sam say gently.

"Sam, LOOK at this place!" I said, looking at him. "It doesn't exactly scream that she's _fine_! Especially when she's NOT _here_!"


	59. Chapter 59

(Somewhere)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"In here." I said to my Mom.

I opened the door to an abandon building and my Mom went inside. I followed her soon after. Closing the door quickly behind me.

_A couple seconds went by, then my Mom came back to the table with a paper in her hands._

_"Oh! My glasses." My Mom said. _

_"I'll get them." I said, standing up. "Where are they?"_

_"In the living room." My Mom said._

_I then headed into the direction of the living room._

_Once I was in the living room, I spotted my Mom's glasses on the coffee stand._

_I grabbed them and looked outside._

_And when I did, I did a double take._

_I saw a group of men coming toward the house._

_A couple of them were already looking at me._

_Knowing I didn't have a lot of time, I ran to the kitchen._

_"Mom, we have to go." I said, quickly._

_"What? Why?" My Mom asked._

_Then, I heard a bang._

_"We got to go now!" I said, grabbing her arm as she stood._

_Then, I ran toward the back door, pulling my Mom with me as I did. Leaving the house._

_"Emily, what's going on?" My Mom asked, sounding scared as we ran._

_"Some unwanted visitors showed up." I said to her as I looked behind me._

_Three of the men were running after us._

_"We need to hide." I said. "Come on."_

"Who is chasing us?" I heard My Mom ask, as I took my gun out.

"Midura's men." I said.

I then walked over to the broken window and glanced out of it.

"What do they want?" I heard My Mom ask.

"Me, Callen," I began. "…..And whatever they want Dad for."

When my Mom was silent, I looked at her to see a guilty look on her face.

"Mom, why do you look as if you did something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, Honey," My Mom began. "Please forgive me for not telling you."

"Telling me what?" I asked.

My Mom took a deep breath and said:

"He wants me."

"Why would Midura want you?" I asked.

"Because I have the key to what he wants." She said, placing her hand on the heart shaped necklace she was wearing.

"I don't understand." I began.

"Emily, I'm just like you." My Mom said. "A long time ago, I too, was once a NCIS Federal Agent."

I stared at my mother wide eyed.

"Your father never knew." She said.

"YOU were a Federal Agent?!" I asked, loudly. Shocked.

I then quickly looked out the window to make sure no one was around.

"Yes." My Mom said, as I looked back at her. "And it's not your father Midura wants, it's me and the key."

"How do you know Midura?" I asked. "What does he want?"

"He used to be my partner before he decided to flip sides." My Mom said. "All because he met someone named Margo Sheela."

"Sheela." I said.

"You know her?" She asked.

"We met." I said. "She's no longer around though."

My Mom looked at me confused.

"She's dead." I explained. "Callen killed her to protect me."

My Mom nodded in understanding.

"What does Midura want?" I asked.

"There's this safe house not too far from here." My Mom said. "Inside is some top secret weapons that will, without a doubt, blow us all to hell if in the wrong hands."

"Perfect." I said sarcastically.

"There no use now." She said. "I made sure of that when I was put in charge of them. They can't be used."

"Does Midura know that?" I asked.

"No." My Mom said.

"Can we go to the safe house?" I asked.

"Yes." She said. "Just follow me."

Then, out of nowhere, my Mom took out a gun.

"Let's go." My Mom said.


	60. Chapter 60

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"Whoa," Kensi said, as she and Deeks entered the house.

"Did you get into a fight with your father in-law or something?" Deeks asked looking at me.

"I wouldn't make jokes at a time like this if I were you." Mr. Taylor said.

Deeks jumped and looked behind him to see Mr. Taylor.

"After we found Mr. Taylor, we came here and saw it was trashed." Sam said.

"Where's Emily and her Mom?" Kensi asked.

"They aren't here." I said.

Then, I walked away from them and went up the stairs.

Once I reached the top of the stairs, I entered the first bedroom I reached.

It was her parents room.

And it looked even more trashed than downstairs was. If that was even possible.

They were obviously looking for something.

But what?

And most importantly, did they find it?

Having Emily and her mother missing could go either way.

Regardless if they found what they were looking for, they were still missing.

If only I knew what they were looking for…..

I then noticed a broken jewelry box on the floor.

"Mr. Taylor," I shouted. "Can you come up here?"

I then took my gloves out as I studied the broken jewelry box.

I put them on, and walked over to the jewelry box.

"Carol's mother gave her that." I heard a voice say.

I looked toward the voice and saw Sam and Mr. Taylor had entered the room.

"Someone was obviously looking for something." I said. "And this is smashed." I then squatted down beside it. "I need you to tell us if anything is missing."

Mr. Taylor nodded.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Near the Safe House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

"So, were you ever going to tell me you were an Agent?" I asked.

I was following my Mom to the safe house.

"I thought about it." My Mom said. "But only after you told me and your father you were one."

"When did you retire?" I asked.

"I unofficially retired five years ago." She said.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I am, yet, am not retired." My Mom said.

"So, people think you're retired but you're not?" I asked.

"Yes." She said.

"How did I not know you weren't just a house wife?" I asked.

"Probably the same reason why I didn't know you _unknowingly_ followed in my footsteps." My Mom said. "It was the last thing we thought the other could be."

"You can say that again." I said.

"Also, my real first name isn't Carol." She said.

"Then why do you go by Carol?" I asked.

"It's my middle name." My Mom said. "Plus, I couldn't risk you, your brothers, and your father getting hurt or tangled up in anything that involved me."

"Then what is your first name?" I asked.

"Joanna." She said.

"What about your maiden name?" I asked.

"Michaels." My Mom said. "I only changed my first name."

"How have you kept this a secret from Dad?" I asked.

"It wasn't easy." She said. "But I managed…..We're here."

I looked at the house we stopped in front of.

"Are you sure Midura doesn't know anything about this house?" I asked. "Let alone, been inside?"

"No." My Mom said. "This safe house was created after Midura left. We should be safe."

Then, my Mom headed toward the house. I followed. Looking around at our surroundings as I did.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

Mr. Taylor looked at the jewelry and around the jewelry box.

"As far as I know, there's nothing missing." Mr. Taylor said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes." Mr. Taylor said, as he stood up. "All of her jewelry is there."

I stood up.

"What about the rest of the house?" Sam asked. "Do you notice anything missing?"

"As far as I know of, everything is still here." Mr. Taylor said. "And the only thing that's broken, is Carol's jewelry box."

"Obviously there was something in that jewelry box." Sam said.

"But since the rest of the house is destroyed, looks like they didn't find what they were looking for." I said.

"But what are they looking for?" Sam asked.

"Million dollar question." I said, taking my phone out.

I then called the OPS Center and put the phone to my ear.

It rang twice before I heard Nell say:

"Hey, Callen."

"Nell, I need you to find any cameras around Emily's parent's house." I said. "Have you found Midura or Adam?"

"Still looking." Nell said.

"Ok." I said, sighing. "Let me know what you find."

"Will do." Nell said.

I then hung up my phone, and looked at Mr. Taylor.

"Do you have any idea what Midura would want from you?" I asked.

"Are you even sure it was Midura who did this?" Mr. Taylor asked.

"Midura's men? Yes." I said. " Midura himself? No. Now, do you have any clue why he would have your house searched? Is there anything he could want?"

Mr. Taylor thought about what I had asked.

"Nothing that I know of." Mr. Taylor said.

I studied Mr. Taylor for a couple seconds, and came to the conclusion he was telling me the truth.

"Let's catch up with Kensi and Deeks." I said.

Then, I walked by Mr. Taylor and Sam and left the room.


	61. Chapter 61

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"We found some footage." Nell said.

Kensi, Deeks, and I were sitting down on the couch in the living room, talking to Eric and Nell on the laptop.

Sam had taken Mr. Taylor out into the kitchen to keep him occupied.

"Let's see it." I said.

Then, a video came up on the screen.

It showed the back of Emily's parent's house.

A couple seconds went by, then the back door opened, and Emily and her mother ran out of the house and off the screen.

I let out a sigh in relief.

But it was short lived, when I saw three men exit the house a couple seconds later. Running in the same direction they went in.

Then, the video stopped.

"Do you know where they went?" Kensi asked.

"No." Nell said. "We haven't seen Emily, her mom, or the three men after that."

"Could you ID them?" Deeks asked.

"They're going through Facial Rec as we speak." Eric said.

"So, Emily and her mom got out of here before the men could catch them." I said.

"But did they catch them after that?" Deeks asked, outloud.

"No." I heard a voice say.

Suddenly, Hetty and Granger showed up in OPS on the laptop.

"They did not get caught." Hetty said. "That I can assure you."

"What makes you say that Hetty?" Kensi asked.

"Because, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Hetty said.

"Is there something you want to share with us Hetty?" I asked.

"I'm just stating a fact, Mr. Callen." Hetty said. "I'm sure, even _you've_ noticed how much alike Miss Taylor and her mother are."

I was about to say something, when Granger said:

"Just find them, Agent Callen."

Then, they were gone.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At the Safe House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

Once me and my Mom were inside the house, my Mom led me toward a door underneath the stair case.

"What Midura wants, is down here." My Mom said.

Then she opened the door. Which revealed darkness.

My Mom hit the wall with her hand opened.

And when she did, a light was turned on. Revealing stairs going downward.

"Come on." She said.

Then, she began to go down the stairs. I followed her.

"So, uh," I began. "Why did you kinda 'stop' being an Agent five years ago?"

"It was getting harder to sneak around your father." My Mom said. "When a SEAL has nothing to do, they start to notice things more. And your father was no different."

"I see." I said, understanding.

Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, I followed my Mom over to one of the walls.

"You see this?" She asked, pointing to two indents side by side.

"Yeah." I said. "What about them?"

"This," My Mom began, pointing to her necklace. "Is what opens it. It's what Midura wants."

"So, behind this wall is the weapons he wants?" I asked.

My Mom nodded.

"But they're no use to him anymore, because you disabled them." I said. "But he doesn't know that."

My Mom nodded again.

"And it opens with your necklace." I said.

My Mom nodded.

"I have to call Callen." I said. "Where's the phone?"

Just then, I heard a door slam shut.

Then, I heard footsteps coming from above.

I looked at my Mom and she looked back at me.

"We need to hide." My Mom said.


	62. Chapter 62

(Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

"What do we do now?" Deeks asked.

Deeks, Kensi, and I were still sitting on the couch, after the video feed from OPS was cut.

"Now," I began. "You and Kensi take Mr. Taylor to a safe location. Preferably a safe house. Sam and I will go in the direction Emily went in. See if we can track her."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Ok." I said.

Sam and I were outside.

As Kensi and Deeks took Mr. Taylor away, I told Sam everything that Eric and Nell had told us.

"Emily and her Mom ran in this direction." I said, pointing in the direction they ran in.

"Then we should go that way too." Sam said.

Sam and I then began to walk in the direction Emily and her mother went in.

It was silent for a couple minutes, then, I heard Sam ask:

"What's on your mind?"

"What makes you think there's something on my mind?" I asked.

"Because you seem to be in thinking mode." I heard Sam say. "And not because we're trying to figure out where Emily went."

It was silent for a second, then I said:

"It's what Hetty said."

"What did Hetty say?" I heard Sam ask.

"She said that _the apple doesn't fall far from the tree _when Kensi asked her how she knew Emily and her Mom didn't get caught by Midura's men." I said. I then stopped walking, and looked at him. "She said that they're alike."

"They are." Sam said. "It's not that hard to tell that."

"I know, but, the way Hetty said it…." I began. "It seemed as if she was giving me a hint about something. Like what she said had a deeper meaning than what it normally does."

"I wouldn't read too much into it." He said. "She was probably just stating a fact."

"It felt like more than a fact, Sam." I said.

"Ok, fine." Sam began, as we began to walk again. "If Hetty meant it as a _hint_ to something, what would it be?"

"Well, it's obviously something Emily and her Mom have in common." I said.

"Ok." He said. "List the things they have in common."

"Well, Emily definitely gets her beauty from her Mom." I said.

"Agreed." Sam said.

"They're both welcoming." I said. "Nice, kind, nonjudgmental…"

"Please tell me that's not all you got." He said.

"I'm sorry, but, it is." I said. "Emily _hardly_ talked about her parents…Hence the shock of me finding out her Dad was a Navy SEAL, like you."

"Did you ever ask her about them?" Sam asked.

"Not exactly." I said.

"Define _not exactly_." He said.

"She only mentioned them a couple times." I said. "And I never asked questions about them. I kind of figured if she wanted to talk about them, she would."

"Ok. Well, did you notice anything when you met her Mom yesterday?" Sam asked. "Anything that screamed Emily does the same thing?"

"There were a lot of things, Sam." I said. "None of which I think is the answer to what Hetty was suggesting."

"Then you're missing something." He said.

"And Hetty knows it." I said.

"You could just ask." Sam said, as we approached some abandon buildings.

"Hetty gave me that hint for a reason." I said. "She won't tell me. She wants me to figure it out."

"Let's hope you do." He said.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At The Safe House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

I heard more footsteps coming from above, followed by muffled voices.

My Mom and I were hiding behind trunks stacked three high.

"Can you tell what they're saying?" I asked her.

"No." My Mom said.

Then, suddenly, we heard the footsteps start to come down the stairs.

My Mom and I immediately put our guns in a ready position.

I peeked over the top trunk and saw two men with guns at the ready in their hands, walk down the last five steps.

They were two of the men who went after us.

"I think Midura knows about the safe house." I whispered to my Mom.

"How many were chasing us?" My Mom whispered, as the two men began to search the room.

"Three." I whispered. "But there was more that was with them when they came to the house."

Suddenly, I heard muffled voices from the floor above again.

"And I think they came with them." I whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"It all depends on them." My Mom whispered.

As the men searched the room, they were getting closer and closer to where we were.

Then, suddenly, I heard someone yell:

"Rocky, Vick, get up here!"

The two men immediately rushed over to the stairs, and went up them.

Then, the light went out, and I heard the door slam shut.


	63. Chapter 63

(At The Safe House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

My Mom and I were silent, as we waited to hear something from above us.

We heard nothing.

There was no movement, no talking, nothing.

"What are they doing up there?" I whispered.

"Don't know." My Mom whispered. "Do you think they're trying to draw us out?"

"I don't know." I whispered. "But it is possible. We need to get out of here and call Callen."

"Do you have your cell phone?" She whispered.

"No." I whispered. "I left it back at the house. What about you?"

"No." My Mom whispered. "But I was told that there was a burnt phone in every single one of the rooms here. All we have to do is find it."

"Were they in plain sight?" I whispered.

"Of course not." She whispered. "They were all hidden just in case."

"What if Midura and his men found them already?" I asked.

"Not possible." My Mom whispered. "When I first came here I found all of them except for the one in this room."

"What did you do with them?" I whispered.

"I put all but one in a safety deposit box." She whispered. "Just in case Midura did find out about this place."

"What about the one you didn't put away?" I whispered.

"Underneath one of the floor boards." My Mom whispered.

"Well, we need to find a phone." I whispered. "Let's try to find the one you couldn't. Quietly, of course."

Then, my Mom and I began to quietly look around the room for the burnt phone.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(In an Abandoned Building)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

_I was sitting at my desk, looking at the girl named Emily who I met just two hours ago._

_She was looking over a case file on her desk. Clearly focused._

_I studied her._

"Find anything?" I asked, looking at Sam.

"No." Sam said, shaking his head.

We were in the second abandoned building we stumbled upon. Looking for any signs Emily and her mother have been here.

So far, nothing.

"What about you?" Sam asked. "Figure out what Hetty meant?"

"No." I said.

"Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way." He said. "Maybe we should list the things off you know about Emily and see if it would apply to her Mom?"

"Ok." I said.

"And don't say what you've already said." Sam said.

"Ok." I said. "Well….Emily loves to read, but I don't think that's what Hetty is getting at."

"Ok, how about you list the things about her that wouldn't be so obvious to someone else." He said. "That may give you the answer."

"Ok." I said, as I began to think. "If I didn't know Emily, I would think she was a little reserved. Which, she actually is."

"Nothing compared to you, I'm sure." Sam said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Look, it must be something obvious." He said. "Something, that if you look at her through a strangers point of view, you would have never guessed to be true."

_She's reserved, I thought, as I continued to study her. Probably not completely closed off, but she is reserved._

_Why do I even care? She will probably be transferred by the end of the week. _

_It's what Lieutenant Burke, our Boss, always seems to do with the new help._

_Basically, if you don't prove yourself, you get the boot._

_But the thing was, I was really hoping he would keep her._

_She seemed to have potential._

_And, I felt like I should get to know her._

_I don't know why, but I do._

_And she's the first person I felt that way about in a long time._

_I studied her some more._

_She was attractive, I will admit that….Probably not out loud, but still, she was._

_She also seemed trustworthy._

_A quality I hardly see in anyone._

_I then imagined myself as a criminal, going into a dinner or a store, and meeting her._

_Would I have known she was a cop? An FBI Agent?_

_Honestly, no._

_She didn't look like one._

_So, unless I found very convincing proof and evidence, I would be fooled and more than likely locked away in jail._

_But that would be IF I was criminal and met her._

Suddenly, realization dawned on me.

"No way."I muttered.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I think I know what Hetty was getting at." I said. "When I first met Emily, I took in her appearance and studied her. Reading her, basically. And I came to the conclusion that if I were a criminal and just met her off the street, I wouldn't have known she was an FBI Agent."

"Because she doesn't look like one." He said.

"Exactly." I said. "…I think Emily's Mom is a Federal Agent."

"If that's true, do you think Emily knows?" Sam asked. "Let alone her Dad?"

"I don't know." I said. "But there's only one way to find out."


	64. Chapter 64

(At the Safe House)

(Emily's P.O.V.)

My Mom and I kept looking for the burnt cell phone, as everything upstairs was still silent.

Not hearing any noise from above, made me uneasy.

"Did you find it?" I heard my Mom whisper.

"No." I whispered. "You?"

"No." I heard my Mom whisper.

I looked at her.

"Do you think we should risk going up stairs?" I whispered. "I mean, it is the only way out, right?"

"Yeah." My Mom whispered.

It was silent between us for a couple seconds.

"Let's do it." My Mom whispered. "Let's go up stairs and get out of here. Then, we'll go find a phone."

"Works for me." I whispered.

My Mom and I walked toward the stairs and slowly went up them. My Mom in front of me.

Once we reached the closed door, we stopped walking and I took out my gun.

My Mom looking at me to see if I was ready.

I gave her a nod, and she turned the door knob slowly, and opened it. Walking onto the next floor as she did.

I followed her and looked both ways.

I saw no one.

"Let's go." I whispered.

My Mom then headed toward the back door. I followed her.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(At Emily's Parent's House)

(Callen's P.O.V.)

After not having much luck in tracking Emily and her Mom down, Sam and I headed back to the house and got into the car.

As soon as I closed the car door, my phone began to ring.

I took my phone out and answered it.

"Callen," I said.

"Callen, it's me." I heard a voice say.

I instantly recognized the voice.

"Emily!" I said, which caused Sam to look at me. "Where are you? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Emily said. "We're both fine."

I sighed in relief.

"There's some things we have to tell you." Emily said.

"Tell me where you two are and I'll come get you." I said.

"We're at the park." Emily said. "Do you know where that is?"

"I do." I said. "I'll be there soon."

"Ok." Emily said.

Then, she hung up.

I hung up my phone and looked at Sam.

"They're alright." I said. "We're going to pick them up."

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I pulled up on the side of the road where the park was and stopped the car.

Sam and I then got out of the car and looked around for Emily and her mother.

Not two seconds went by when I saw them.

I looked at Emily and smiled.

Emily smiled back at me as her and her Mom walked over to Sam and I.

I met Emily half way, and hugged her tightly. Nuzzling my head into her neck.

Emily hugged me tightly back.

"I'm so glad you're alright." I whispered.

"Me too." I heard Emily whisper.

We stayed like that for a couple seconds, then we pulled away from each other.

"Come on." I said. "We have to get to the safe house. Deeks, Kensi, and your Dad are waiting for us. And, once we're there, we NEED to talk."

"I couldn't agree with you more." Emily said.

Then, Emily and I headed toward the car.


End file.
